These last 2 years in ministry have been a test of our trust in our LORD and of our perseverance. During COVID, private donations have been down; grants helped a little to fill the gap, but we ended our fiscal year in the red. Grants are very important in growing a ministry, but they are geared more toward new programs and that is a plus, especially if it is filling a need that the people of Englewood require to better their lives. But in essence it supplies resources for a period of time that the grant is issued. When that period ends, we either need to find another grant or rely on gifts from our donors to continue to meet the need.
From 2019 when COVID started to today we have more than doubled the number of neighbors we are serving. Most of the food is free but the ancillary items and the staff/volunteers we need to serve the people have also more than doubled, and in turn so have our operating expenses. Given the current economic state, our numbers continue to increase weekly. We are in a catch 22 situation. We cannot abandon our neighbors and at the same time we cannot operate losing money every year.
There are very few grants that provide operating capital. That is why we have turned to you, the individuals that for 13 years have provided the resources to meet the needs of this community. There are many of our original donors that we haven’t heard from in years.
If every one of our donors could share $75 twice a year
(& perhaps more from those who could afford it),
Shepherd’s Hope & our neighbors would be very grateful.
It would help us to be able to take care of the increasing need in our community. Thank you, LORD!
This season has taken its toll on many families, both spiritually and financially. Our prayers are with you, and we feel your pain if your family is one of them. After all the LORD has done through Shepherd’s Hope to develop relationships and trust with this community, HE is not just going to walk away. HE is testing the people in the ministry and its donors to see if we are in it for the long haul.
Please, we are asking for your prayers and any resources you can afford to share with Shepherd’s Hope. We are ready to continue what we have been doing for 13 years, but we need your financial support to MAKE IT HAPPEN!