THE CENTER of Englewood is owned and operated by Shepherd’s HOPE, Ltd. and houses our Food Pantry and Family Feeding Center as well as By the Hand Club for Kids, First Defense Legal Aid, IMPACT Family Center, Pass-It-On Academy, New Hope Medical Clinic, God’s End Time Church and Xperience Church.

Being Our Brother’s Keeper = THE CENTER of Englewood

We are called to be salt and light in this community that is very familiar with darkness. This presents a great opportunity to share the LOVE of JESUS as we provide for our neighbors’ needs.

I can’t believe it is almost Labor Day 2019! In some ways, it seems like yesterday that we purchased the building the LORD has named “THE CENTER of Englewood.” For the last year and a half James 1:2-3 has been our life verse at Shepherd’s HOPE. Quote “(2) count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, (3) for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

During this period, everyone who has remained on the Shepherd’s HOPE staff has grown in their relationship with JESUS CHRIST, but most of all in their trust for each other, because trials bring out the true character of a man.

As of July, THE CENTER of Englewood has 8 ministries operating in the building. We are serving our community 7 days a week. We have basketball camps using the gymnasium, community organizations meeting in our conference room, multipurpose room, cafeteria and auditorium. The ministries and the building are already well known in the community. When school starts in the fall, there will be between 400 – 650 children and adults a day utilizing the building with a pastor always on duty, 7 days a week. What a blessing to this community. AMEN!

We are still working on the building, upgrading the inside and outside, including the grounds around the building for our GRAND OPENING on September 21, 2019. We are looking forward to seeing you all there.  We will have a bounce house and games for the kids, hot dog and hamburger lunch for all, guided tours of the building as well as a ribbon cutting featuring Alderman Roderick Sawyer.

We are looking forward to seeing all of you and sharing with you – up close and personal – what our LORD is doing through Shepherd’s HOPE and all our ministry partners.

By God’s grace and your financial help, there are already teams working 7 days a week to glorify the LORD. The upkeep of the building, and the daily operation of the food pantry and feeding center, utilities, cleaning supplies, janitorial staff, and the security team along with the upgrades and repairs of the 50,000 sf building requires resources. Without you, our support team, the ministries would not be able to continue providing for the needs of our neighbors and in turn glorifying our LORD!

I want to thank all the members of our support team that have made this next step of this journey a reality. Over 10 years ago, when we started Shepherd’s HOPE, the LORD made it very clear that our obedience to HIS will is all that HE expects and HE will take care of the rest. Where HE takes us in the future will depend on that same obedience, because the journey’s all HIS and we are just along for the ride…and what a ride it has been!

I love you all and want to thank you in advance for your continued support! Hope to see you all at the Grand Opening on September 21, 2019.

Sincerely,

Brian Anderson, Executive Director

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It has been a while. A lot has happened since our last newsletter. We had just taken possession of Mays School, and as you may know, it was not in the condition that it was all the way up to just 6 days before we closed. While the locksmith was changing the locks, the CPS engineer and I walked through the building. That’s when we noticed the carnage. I immediately notified the CPS attorney who handled the closing which had just concluded minutes before.

As it turns out, we had no idea what we were walking into. The damage that was visible was bad enough, but it was the damage that was not visible that made our repair estimates not worth the paper they were written on. We are going to present CPS with a demand letter for reparations along with a video of our initial walk-thru and a video of the damage.  We have no guarantee where that is going to lead. We have placed this reality in GOD’S hands and have forged ahead in prayer and in submission to HIS will. As of today, the target date for most of the ministries to start moving in to the building is November 1, 2018 .

Assessing the Damage

The majority of the extra work is plumbing and electrical. The plumbing work is because of theft of the

1.5″ copper pipe supplying the hot water from the boiler to the blowers in each classroom, plus the 1.5″ copper that was taken from within the plumbing walls that services the 27 toilets, 9 urinals, 19 lavatories and 1 shower throughout the building. Besides stealing the copper that supplies the water to the bathrooms, they also damaged the automatic flushing systems which will have to be replaced along with the toilets they service.

Then there are the electrical cables that we knew had been tampered with, but we had no idea of the extent of the theft. Our initial assessment after tracing the route (with electrical contractors) and measuring the cable we knew was missing, led us to estimate about 3,000-4,000 linear feet. After the electricians placed a measuring string in each of the empty conduits, the missing cable amounted to 8,000-9,000 linear feet.

We estimated the cost of theft initially between $35,000 and $50,000 and by God’s grace after the theft took place, a new donor became part of the Shepherd’s HOPE team and made a donation that was like a breath of fresh air in an Oklahoma dust storm.

Useless Destruction

Although after the dust cleared, the LORD revealed the rest of the damage, as to say, “this whole journey that we are on together is predicated on your relationship and total trust in ME and ME alone”.

The devil’s minions that perpetrated this theft, had no idea that the cost to replace the stolen material and repair their damages would be $85,000 – $100,000. These people worked 6 days and 6 nights to complete this theft, some of it very hard work, for which they acquired about $2,000 to subsidize their drug habits. The devil knows that if these men are given a real job, their drug use would be minimal or a thing of the past. The reality of this is that the devil would have a much harder time getting them to agree to steal from their neighbors and disrupt the LORD’s work in the community. That’s why the devil loves poverty.

We at Shepherd’s HOPE love our LORD and Savior JESUS CHRIST and trust HIM to bring us through this so HE can be glorified. That’s why HE put the Shepherd’s HOPE team together – the Board, Staff, Volunteers, Donors and Ministry Partners – so the LORD can live in and through each and every one of us to make THE CENTER of Englewood a reality. Through the children’s ministry, the teen ministry, the daycare, the vocational training, the feeding center, the pantry, the church services, the Bible studies, and the free medical clinic, JESUS will show the people of this Englewood community that HE loves them and that HE is here for them. HE wants to be their friend by changing the face and character of this community, by living in and through its people.

Besides the repairs that had to take place because of the break-ins, there were many substantial

projects that needed to be completed to make THE CENTER of Englewood operational. To complete the repairs that were due to the break-in and to complete the projects that we knew existed when we bid on the school, we will need the LORD’s help in the amount of $70,000. The major part of these monies will be used to refurbish and start up the boiler, blower and ventilation systems. The cost for this will be about $35,000, which we had budgeted and set aside, but had to use for the break-in damages because we need electricity and water to operate these systems. We trust the LORD totally and know that HE will provide the resources we need!  Click here to see the projects we knew we had to deal with from Day One and our progress to date.  It’s the $100,000 cost from the break-in damages that we were not prepared for, but we know the LORD is. We will wait patiently to see who HE will use to make the CENTER of Englewood a reality.

Together, faithfully…

Shepherd’s HOPE team, we need your help! We need you to share your gifts, talents, time and resources, the blessings the LORD has given you to bring everything to fruition by November 1, 2018. It can be accomplished, but only if we all work together as a team for HIS glory and HIS glory alone. Please pray on it and let the LORD direct your path! I can’t wait to see who HE uses for HIS glory.
Remember, it is all in the LORD’s hands, but it is in that place of humiliation that we find our true worth to GOD – that is where our true faithfulness is revealed, and HE is glorified! We have been put in that place of humiliation and we have stayed totally focused on HIM and in turn remain completely faithful to HIS will. AMEN!
I love you all and hope to see you soon.
Brian

We need your help!

When Shepherd’s HOPE moves into the Mays School we are purchasing from CPS, 12 Ministry Partners will be coming alongside to be fully housed in the building and/or to expand the programs and benefit from the services.  This article describes the work of each of these partners.

The Lord started putting together “The Way” about 5 years ago and gradually built it to 13 ministries today (including Shepherd’s HOPE).

1. God’s End Time Church was one of the first ministries the LORD introduced to Shepherd’s HOPE. Pastor Nathaniel Hill is the founder and the leader of this ministry. Nate was once where a lot of people in this community are or were at one time.  He was a drug addict, addicted to heroin – but by GOD’s grace he was saved and now he is livinging the word of GOD and sharing his testimony.  God’s End Time Church meets Sunday mornings at 11 am (in a rented space).  Nate also does Wednesday evening bible studies at 7:00 pm.  For the past 2 years the church has also been doing Saturday morning breakfasts and discipleship through community outreaches.  Pastor Nate and his team will be coming with us to the Mays School facility.

2. Kingdom Lifeline Ministry is a drug and alcohol abuse ministry whose focus is discipleship through outreach and helping others. Pastor Kurt Williams is the founder and executive director, one of the true men of GOD.  I’ve had the privilege of knowing him personally and watching him grow and mentor men who were struggling with substance abuse.  I can’t wait for all of us to be working together under one roof, so I can have a ringside seat to see the affect that these men of GOD are going to have on this community.

3. IMPACT Family Center is a teen and family ministry founded and operated by CEO Marsha Eaglin. Talk about a ministry that is having a profound effect on the people the LORD has surrounded her with! She knows and loves JESUS; you can feel that love by the fruit she bears through the relationship and trust that pours out of this ministry.  Marsha also does GED classes, computer and web design classes, and community outreach activities besides mentoring these teens in life.  See complete list of services on their website here.  What a blessing it will be for this ministry to join us at Mays School!

4. Pass-it-on-Academy is a daycare ministry that was co-founded by the first community volunteer to serve at Shepherd’s HOPE. Darryl Coleman and his wife Theresa started this ministry to help single mothers that need daycare and cannot afford to pay the going rate.  The most important aspect of this ministry is not the discounted rate for the single mom, rather it is the way the staff shows the LOVE of JESUS to every child that enters the doors of this ministry.  The LORD took Darryl home about 3 years ago, but because of HIS leadership, Theresa is still loving on these kids.  In my heart of hearts ministries like Pass-it-on-Academy and IMPACT are the ministries most needed to change the heart of a community.  I am so proud that they are a part of our team.

5. Breath of Life Christian Center is a prison ministry as well as a (Daycare and After School Program) started by Jeff Pirtle and his wife (Nicole). Jeff has been working in the prison system teaching inmates about the love and saving grace of JESUS for the past 15 years.  Jeff really has a heart for the prisoners because of his love for Christ and because he used to be one of them.  Nicole’s love for kids and love for Christ makes her the perfect woman to guide the children of this community.  Jeff and Nicole also do outreaches to bring the community together to show the LOVE of CHRIST in action.  These are 2 special people with plenty of street experience and a dedicated love for people – because they live Christ-centered lives.  They are a tremendous asset to the collaborative and add a quality of leadership that is scarce in the world we live in today.

6. Xperience Church is a Christ-centered outreach ministry and house church led by 2 very talented and dedicated Christ followers that LOVE JESUS with all their heart and soul. From the time you first meet Dwayne and Linda Grant, you feel their LOVE for each other as well as the LOVE for JESUS they exhibit freely to everyone they surround themselves with.  The first time I met them they were doing a Friday evening outreach in front of a liquor store at 67th and Halsted where loving on the least of these is a way of life.  Dwayne’s real talents are in his ability to preach the word of GOD as well as his talent as a worship leader.  As you are beginning to see, he LORD has had HIS hand in creating a diversified and talented team of men and women of GOD.  Believe it or not, that liquor store where I met Dwayne and Linda is one block from Mays School.  How ironic.

7. Kody’s House is a ministry started by a young girl while going to nursing school. Idella (Washington) in the midst of preparing herself for a nursing career decided that on weekends she would prepare meals for the homeless and unreached.  She came to the pantry about 3 years ago after talking to one of our volunteers.  She asked if we had any food we could share with her for her ministry.  From that point on we have supplied her food on a weekly basis to make it possible for her, her boyfriend Vince and another friend to be able to prepare and disburse meals every weekend on the street to the homeless or anyone they encounter in need.  She is now a nurse and continues her ministry.  I can’t wait for the day when we have a kitchen open 7 days a week so we can supply and prepare the food for Kody’s House and give Idella and her team a break to focus on distributing the meals and spending more time on building relationship and trust with the people they serve.

8. Nehemiah Construction was started by Ed Domagal and his partner. Their construction company takes young men off the street and teaches them work ethic and job skills. As they spend the time in instruction, they disciple them by introducing them to the saving grace of JESUS CHRIST.  The goal once we get the Mays School facility will be to start their training in the classroom in the evenings and when the “students” are ready for hands-on experience, they will place them with a crew and then give them on the job training.  They will teach them to be team players, how to complete a job and what a finished project looks like.  Over and above job training, they will teach them how to live a CHRIST-honoring life as they disciple them, which is the most important part of their job training.  Pastor Ed is the perfect man to disciple the young men.  He has been mentoring young men for years through his street preaching ministry.  Along with discipleship he will be teaching them good work ethic and skills.  I am looking forward to Pastor Ed being a part of our team.  He is a man of integrity and character, something very much lacking in today’s world.

8. God’s Helping Hand is operated by Pete Harvey and has been around for at least a decade. Shepherd’s HOPE started partnering with them about 4 years ago.  They came to us through a friend of mine.  When I met Pete, the number of people needing a hot meal was a lot greater than the food they had available.  After partnering with us they were able to feed 4 times the number of people they were feeding before Pete met us.  Pete and his volunteers have to prepare the hot meals and as he has shared with me, the volunteers aren’t always available.  By GOD’s grace sometime in the near future we will have a kitchen operating 7 days a week that will be able to prepare the meals for God’s Helping Hand, as well as all the other  ministries in need of hot meals.

10. Arrows Outreach is a unique ministry but with the same mission. Their mission is discipleship but how they accomplish that mission is unique. House churches are not common place in America but are very biblical.  Michele and Ojo Patterson are a young couple who LOVE JESUS and LOVE to share who HE is and are not shy, but zealous about what HE has done for them and the people they have discipled.  I met Michele and Ojo a little over 5 years ago as they were doing street outreach and bible studies, which they are now using to build house churches.  I believe house churches are the future of the American Christian movement.  We have lost the tight-knit community of families that worshipped, prayed and walked through life together and as a result have lost the transparency that existed when small groups of people did life together.  That is what separated true followers of Christ from all other types of religiosity.  I think Mays School is the perfect venue for building a house church network and is a perfect place for the leaders of the house churches to meet on a weekly basis to discuss how things are progressing and how they might work together on community projects.  Michele and Ojo will be there to spearhead these meetings mentoring and guiding the leaders.  If there is one ministry that I cannot wait to see blossom, it is this one because it could easily have the most explosive effect on this Englewood community.

11. Heritage Church. Three years ago I walked into Heritage Church because my wife and I had moved to Grayslake, IL and were looking for a place to call our church home.  The pastor that Sunday preached a message on discipleship that was straight from the Bible, telling everyone in the church what real discipleship means and what a genuine discipleship is.  From that day forward, Heritage has been the church my wife and I attend.

Every year in November they showcase a ministry that they partner with for the coming year.  In 2016, they chose Shepherd’s HOPE and it became the beginning of a great relationship.  They made a commitment to support us financially.  What a blessing! But what blew me away was how they got involved by volunteering on a regular basis.  This allows the church that’s serving to grow as followers of Christ because the people get the opportunity to see JESUS come alive. In Matthew 25:40 Jesus says: “As you have done for one of the least of these, my brothers, you’ve done it to me.”  I can’t wait to see how the purchase of Mays school will open more opportunities for more people to see JESUS come alive.  Thank you LORD for bringing us together.  ONLY GOD!

12. Greater Chicago Food Depository is our largest provider of food (and one of the largest in the country). They have been with us since the beginning.  Beside the food we have a great opportunity to partner with them on a much larger scale.  We told the CFO that we were looking for a larger venue and they told us that when we get a place, they would like to help us turn our food pantry and family feeding center into state of the art facilities by supplying walk-in coolers and freezers, sinks, stoves, prep tables, tables and chairs and whatever else they could get donated.  I  can’t wait to see how the LORD is going to use this great organization to raise up this Englewood community from the depravity that exists into the hardworking, family-oriented neighborhood it was.

Thank you LORD for the Mays School and all the ministry partners that will be a part of your plans for this building.

Merry Christmas everyone and I hope you’re looking forward to the New Year as we are at Shepherd’s HOPE.  The winter Coat, Hat, Glove and Scarf drive continues through January 15, 2017 and then we pass them out as the need arises.  The needs in our community are great but remember we have ministry partners that serve the homeless as well in other under-resourced communities in Chicago.

These coats and accessories will not last long! 

 Please keep us in your prayers for a larger venue.  We have outgrown our current facilities and would love to bring all our ministries and ministry partners under one roof.  What a blessing that would be!  We will be bidding on Woods School at 62nd and Racine on March 3, 2017.  Please pray that God will bless us with this facility if it is his will.  The afterschool program will be starting soon.  We are looking forward to the opportunity to start mentoring these young kids.

In addition to the new venue and the youth program, we are going to start partnering with the 7th District Police Department by providing 150 bags of non-perishable food a month so that officers in that district can use the food to rebuild the relationship and trust needed to bring this community back to where the officers and the people in the community embrace each other and begin working together again toward peace.  It’s working in the 11th District and through God’s grace will keep working there and it will also work in the 7th District as long as we all work together with God in the lead!

As you see the LORD has a glorious plan for Shepherd’s HOPE in 2017.  This only happens because of people like you, our financial support team.  We need your help.  To date we have only raised  62% of our operating budget for 2017.  We are pursuing grants and other resources, but we still need your help financially and most of all your prayers.

Next time  you receive our newsletter, I hope we can tell you that we have met our financial goals, and that God has provided the larger facility we so badly need.  Look forward then to some video of the afterschool program and a picture of the Shepherd’s HOPE-Xperience Church-7th District Team!  AMEN!

By the way, the Kid’s Christmas party on December 17 was a success. Thank you to Chris at Heritage Church for putting the video at left together for us! And thank you for your support that made the filled Christmas stockings and hot dog meal possible for our kids and their families!   Click here to see the video.

We love you all very much and wish each of you and your families a joyous and peace-filled NEW YEAR!  Thank you again for your continued support and prayers.  Thank you for being a part of this journey that the LORD called Shepherd’s HOPE.

Love always,

Brian

Merry Christmas everyone and I hope you’re looking forward to the New Year as we are at Shepherd’s Hope.  The winter Coat, Hat, Glove and Scarf drive continues through January 15, 2017 and we pass then out as the need arises.  The needs in our community are great but remember we have ministry partners that serve the homeless as well in other under-resourced communities in Chicago.

These coats and accessories will not last long!

Please keep us in your prayers for a larger venue.  We have outgrown our current facilities and would love to bring all our ministries and ministry partners under one roof.  What a blessing that would be!  We will be bidding on Woods School at 62nd and Racine on March 3, 2017.  Please pray that God will bless us with this facility if it is his will.  The afterschool program will be starting soon.  We are looking forward to the opportunity to start mentoring these young kids.

In addition to the new venue and the youth program, we are going to start partnering with the 7th District Police Department by providing 150 bags of non-perishable food a month so that officers in that district can use the food to rebuild the relationship and trust needed to bring this community back to where the officers and the people in the community embrace each other and begin working together again toward peace.  It’s working in the 11th District and through God’s grace will keep working there and it will also work in the 7th District as long as we all work together with God in the lead!

As you see the LORD has a glorious plan for Shepherd’s HOPE in 2017.  This only happens because of people like you, our financial support team.  We need your help.  We have only raised to date 62% of our operating budget for 2017.  We are pursuing grants and other resources, but we still need your help financially and most of all your prayers.

Next time we you receive our newsletter, I hope we can tell you that we have met our financial goals, and that God has provided the larger facility we so badly need.  Look forward then to some video of the after school program and a picture of the Shepherd’s HOPE-Xperience Church-7th District Team!  AMEN!

By the way the Christmas party on December 17 was a success. Thank you to Chris at Heritage Church for putting the following video together for us! And thank you for your support that made the filled Christmas stockings and hot dog meal possible for our kids and their families!. Click here to see the video of that event.

We love you all very much and wish each of you and your families a joyous and peace-filled NEW YEAR!  Thank you again for your continued support and prayers.  Thank you for being a part of this journey that the LORD called Shepherd’s HOPE.

Love always,

Brian

Prior to Christmas the LORD put it on Brian Anderson’s heart to focus and love on HIS children of this Englewood community.  We have always LOVED them, but the LORD wants it to be our main focus for 2016 and beyond.  The LORD wants to show HIS LOVE to the youth and teens of this community.  By talking to the people we serve and through the research of others we are finding out that the youth and teens in this community don’t eat on a regular basis and the food that they eat at home and in school is very nutrient deficient.  The LORD has placed on the hearts of our Shepherd’s HOPE staff and the board of directors to start an afterschool program feeding hot meals to the youth and teens of Englewood on 3 days a week.  This would take place at the Family Feeding Center from 4-6 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  We have tentatively worked out the arrangements to get the food donated, but just like the feeding programs we operate from 12:00-2:00 pm for 2 days a week, we have to pay for the plates, cups, napkins, forks, aluminum pans, foil, seasonings, head cook, building rental etc.  To operate a feeding program for 300 youth and teens 3 days a week will cost us $24,000 per year.  $0.53 per meal is a small price to pay to make sure the young people of this community get at least 3 nutritional meals a week and most of all it gives us the opportunity to develop relationships and trust needed to share the saving grace of JESUS and really LOVE these kids and young adults the way GOD designed it.  This will call for a team effort again.  We will be trusting in GOD again to supply the food and volunteers.  Our goal as the Shepherd’s HOPE team will be to supply the oversight, transportation, guidance and leadership, the extra finances and most of all the LOVE of JESUS that the youth and teens of this community so badly need.

Our prayer is that GOD would bless this endeavor and have it operational by the beginning of August, 2016.  It is all in GOD’s hands.  HE will give us the discernment;  HE will supply the food and volunteers; HE will tap the team members on the shoulder who HE wants to provide the financial resources needed to make this program a reality.  Like GOD said to me on the corner of 57th and Lowe when I was praying to HIM about even joining HIM on this journey, “All you have to do is be obedient to my will and I will take care of all the rest.”  After watching all that HE has accomplished in the last 6 years, my faith and trust in HIM is so much greater today than it was back then.  I hope all of you who have been blessed to be on this journey with me feel the same way.

What a great opportunity to LOVE this community like never before and be the catalyst that starts the next generation on their journey with our LORD and Savior JESUS CHRIST.  I don’t know about you, but the thought of that gives me goose bumps!

Vision For Shepherd’s Hope

HOPE is the result of the indwelling life of Christ lived out every day for the people that Shepherd’s HOPE was brought to Englewood to serve.
Mary’s story is a great example of that HOPE because Shepherd’s HOPE was able to help Mary in a small way by being part of her journey from being jobless and  homeless without any resources to finding a place to live and a fulltime job!  It is a great illustration of how GOD works through this ministry and one of many stories that illustrate how HOPE prevails when we provide food for the least of these.  Relationships and trust are the result of this simple act of kindness.  Our goal is to continue to share some more of these video stories of HOPE.  (View Mary’s story now)

Thank you for your prayers and financial support.  Without these, the stories of HOPE would never come to fruition.

 WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS.

In 2008, before we actually started serving this community, the LORD laid out a 5-step plan for this ministry.

Step 1: Combat physical hunger.

We are accomplishing this through 2 venues – our Food Pantry at 5732 S Lowe Ave and The Family Feeding Center at 6455 S Peoria.  The simple act of kindness of providing food and hot meals to those in need lets us develop hundreds of relationships with the people of this community.

Step 2: Combat lack of spiritual awareness. 

We are accomplishing this through Friday evening outreaches, weekly bible studies on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and church services on Friday afternoon and Sunday.  These services are led by 3 men who faithfully minister to this community.
Pastor Dwayne Grant joined our team to provide sermons on Friday during the noon to 2:00 pm Family Feeding Center hours.  He also does a Friday evening outreach ministry on the street at 67th and Halsted, as well as Sunday church services and Tuesday evening bible studies at the McDonalds at 69th and Lafayette.
Apostle Nathaniel Hill is a Shepherd’s HOPE board member who preaches for Sunday Services at 11:00 am and leads Wednesday evening bible studies at 6455 S Peoria.
Board Member Kevin Johanson has facilitated a bible study for the past 5 years in the basement of St Stephens Church at 910 W 65th Street on Saturday mornings.
This is a great team of men who are truly devoted to the LORD.  I feel honored just to serve with this group.

Step 3: Combat educational and vocational deficiencies.

This is the next step of our journey.  But to even begin to meet this goal, we need a facility where we can bring all that we already do under one roof and allow for the expansion plans required for steps 3, 4 and 5.

The LORD has brought such a building into our midst.  It is a 55,000 sq ft elementary school with a 320 seat auditorium, a large gymnasium, and a kitchen with lunchroom. Bernard Mays Elementary school, which has been closed for over 7 years, is located at 838 Marquette Rd and is just 2 blocks from the current Family Feeding Center.  Mays is an adequate facility to move all of our existing programs and add after-school tutoring programs, GED classes, after school athletic programs as well as vocational training.  We have a ministry, Life Leadership, that has shown a willingness to walk with us on this journey financially as well as to provide guidance, training, and jobs for this community.  What a blessing!

To view  “Vision for Shepherd’s HOPE – 2016 & Beyond” click Vision 2016

The prayers we need are in reference to a meeting scheduled with Alderman Rod Sawyer on November 3 at 11:00 am.  We need Alderman Sawyer’s blessing if we are to make Mays School a reality for Shepherd’s HOPE.  Please pray for GOD’s hand to be present in this meeting and GOD’s will to be done.
Your prayers mean a great deal to us.  You, our financial supporters, have been the catalyst that have brought us this far, with GOD’s strong guiding hand and HIS additional resources it all came together.  At this time we need your prayers more than ever.  But please don’t forget us financially; your continued support is needed if the communities we serve are to continue to enjoy the shining light that Shepherd’s HOPE has brought to this dark and devastated area of Chicago.  To you it may look like a blip on the map, but if you were to ever walk in this community that we serve, you would be able to see and feel of JESUS CHRIST shining brightly – only because of your prayers and financial support.

The next step in the LORD’s plan is to extend a helping hand to the youth and teens of this community.  We continue to seek assistance from other sources as well.  In October we received a grant of $15,000 from The Chicago Community Trust to help with our operating expenses and we are actively pursuing three other funding sources that have expressed interest in helping Shepherd’s HOPE – in addition to Life Leadership.  However, your ongoing financial support remains essential to meet current expenses and to help lay the foundation for the future vision of Shepherd’s HOPE.

Thank you again for all your support in prayer and financial support.  This building will provide Shepherd’s HOPE the space to not only physically and spiritually feed the people we serve, but also to use this facility to provide for the educational deficiency of this community’s youth, teens and adults.  After school athletic programs and vocational training will also be provided which will improve the ability for individuals to provide for their families and contribute to their community.   If this building is made available all the LORD’s plans for this community can become a reality.  ONLY GOD!

$1 becomes $23 when you donate to Shepherd’s HOPE.

About a week ago I got a letter from a friend of many of us at Shepherd’s HOPE.  After reading our newsletter they regretfully told us they were not going to donate this year to Shepherd’s HOPE because they were able to get $2 worth of goods and services for every dollar they donated to a ministry with a similar purpose.

I was a little dejected because I am in the midst of what God is doing every day in this devastated community. But God does everything for a reason.  ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

God sent us to Englewood to be salt and light and to feed HIS sheep both physically and spiritually.  GOD is always faithful to the obedience of HIS servants.  I want to thank our friends for opening our eyes to their perspective of what they look for in ministries they support.

So as a board we decided to see how GOD’s economy is working through Shepherd’s HOPE.  WE were all in awe of the results.  GOD took every donation designated for Shepherd’s HOPE and made it worth 2300% of its value!  A $1.00 donation is now able to provide $23.00 worth of goods and services to our neighbors in need.  (View June 2014 fiscal year IRS 990 tax return)  What a grand way for GOD to show his gratitude for this little ministry.  AMEN!

GOD took the generous financial support of our donors $68,864 (for fiscal year ending June 2014) and provided goods (food and clothing) and services (volunteer hours) of $1,860,145.  ONLY GOD!  This all took place because our volunteers and donors were willing to sacrifice their talents and resources while Shepherd’s HOPE staff and ministry partners remained obedient to GOD’s will.

But that is far from the end of the story.  The return on your investment in Shepherd’s HOPE is substantially more than the food and clothing.  Because of GOD’s amazing LOVE for HIS people, lives are changing, neighbors are serving neighbors, and most of all GOD is teaching them how to love one another.  The community again has HOPE, GOD’s kingdom is growing where evil for a long time prevailed.  What a great plan, obedience to GOD = God’s glory revealed.

Thank you in advance for your continued prayers and support.

FOOD PANTRY(operating capital, June, 2015) $28,600

THE FAMILY FEEDING CENTER(operating capital, June, 2015) $20,000

THANKSGIVING GROCERIES(complete meal for 800 families) $5,200

CHRISTMAS for CHILDREN(stocking and gift for 300 children) $3,000

In spite of our high-tech world and efficient procedures, people remain the essential ingredient of life.  When we forget this, a strange thing happens:  we start treating people like inconveniences instead of assets.

May God bless you and your family.

Sincerely,

Brian Anderson, Executive Director

The holidays are here again. It is the busiest time of the year at the Food Pantry supplying the groceries for 800 Thanksgiving meals; running a coat drive to provide 300 new or gently used coats, hats and gloves for children and adults in need; Christmas stockings and gifts for 300 kids in the community.

Since the opening of The Family Feeding Center in April 2014 our focus has been on this new addition to the Shepherd’s HOPE family. I want to thank you all for your support. The Family Feeding Center is currently funded through November 2014. We are still in need of $20,000 to be able to keep providing 600 people the hot meals we serve each week through June 2015.

2014 Holiday Season at Shepherd’s HOPE

Thanksgiving (grocery distribution day is November 25).
We expect to provide groceries for 800 Thanksgiving meals for our neighbors in Englewood, as they reach out to us for a helping hand during this holiday season. We were able to keep the cost for all these groceries for a Thanksgiving meal to only $6.25/family. Please help us make this Thanksgiving one that 800 families in Englewood will remember and give praise to God for all He has done in 2014.

Coat Drive (November 15 – December 31)
Staying warm this winter is a must. With your help our goal to provide 300 winter coats, hats and gloves (new or gently used) for children and adults can become a reality. Please share this opportunity to bless our neighbors in Englewood with family, friends, neighbors and others at your workplace or in organizations you belong to. What a great way to share the Shepherd’s HOPE journey in Englewood and at the same time keep 300 people warm this winter. Join our Coat Drive Team and let us know you would like to participate.
Click here to print a sign-up form or email us.

Christmas (Santa visits on December 20)
Christmas in Englewood is not like Christmas where we in the suburbs live. Most of the children in this community are lucky to have a Christmas tree. Gifts are few and far between. Our goal for this Christmas is to make 300 children smile with a stocking full of goodies and a gift. This is often the only gift this child will receive. The cost for the stocking and small gift is about $10.00. Please help us make this a Christmas 300 children will remember.

For almost 6 years we have developed relationship and trust with our neighbors and because of that trust they look to us when times get tough because we are like family. These relationships could not have taken place without your support. The need has never been greater. At this time of year more than ever people need to know that someone cares.

Please help Shepherd’s HOPE be there again this year for our poverty-stricken neighbors.