Local non-profits need the community to help them help others this winter season
Helping the Homeless
DELAWARE – November is Homelessness Awareness Month and in Delaware local non-profits are struggling to help their citizens. Whether it’s a hot meal or a warm bed, shelters provide security for their community. And it would be a shame if their services had to cease.
Save Shepherd’s Place
Dover, De. – Soups, Sweaters, and Shelters. Tasha Scott, Executive Director of The Shepard Place says if they don’t get more funding, their doors will be closed by the end of January. “Homelessness is real. I don’t know how many people actually believe that, or how many people see it, but Homelessness is real, and it’s not getting any lighter.”
Residents are allowed to stay for 30 – 90 days with no strings attached, and Scott says that can get pretty expensive. “Our salary budget for a year is about $220,000 and that’s just salary. For us to operate for an entire year, I’ll give anywhere from $400,000- $500,000… We do have 24-hour staffing, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, we also pay for everything that the residents have. this shelter is at no cost to them at all.”
Their funding comes from grants and public donations. Scott says they plan to help this community for another 34 years, they just need the resources. “This is why we’re coming to our public sector, because if there is anything out there that they might know about, that we don’t know about. Anywhere we can apply, anywhere we can seek funding from, this is what we’re doing this for, so we can get that attention.”
Many of those who reside at Shepherd Place have fallen on hard times, and some are fleeing domestic violence situations like La’Reka Marshall. She came to the shelter in 2011, with nothing but her 3 children and a desire to do something better. Now, she says she’s health, happy, is an entrepreneur and the Executive Chef. She attributes her success to the Shepherd’s Place, and to Tasha Scott, for encouraging her along the way.
La’Reka says it truly believes this is something her community needs. “If you lose your home, because you lost your job, lord forbid, your husband dies, or your boyfriend dies, and they were the main source of income, and now you have nowhere to go, and you hit rock bottom you need shelters like this to be able to help people.”
Scott says they’re just good people trying to do good things. She says La’Reka now helps those going through what she went through, and she is living proof of why this shelter is a necessity. “There’s places, there’s homeless shelters, there’s places that you can go to escape whatever darkness that you’re going through at that time. This was one of those places for me, and that’s why I’m thankful for the Shepards Place,” says La’Reka.
Shepherds Place officials say they do have a few openings for new residents, and if you’re interested or know someone in need, please visit their website. For monetary donations you can mail in a money order or check to their address 1362 South Governors Ave., Dover, DE 19904, feel free to visit their website and donate through their PayPal account.
Don’t Stop Donating!
Georgetown, De. – Speaking of those in need, The Shepard’s Office is a local charity that focuses on helping the hungry and homeless. In Georgetown a local non-profit says they are living proof of what happens when the community truly comes together.
Director Jim Martin says despite inflation, the community has been very generous and allowed them to help as many as possible. Businesses like Home2Suites are helping with food and clothing donations. It’s that kind of generosity that Martin says allows them to help those who need it the most…
“We’re seeing a huge increase, need, in the county for people that are homeless and hung… Well in 2023, we did about 30,000 free meals. And in 2024 we’re on schedule to do about 65,000 meals. So, the amount of free meals that we’ve given out in 24 so far is double what we did last year.”
Donations for the Shepherd’s Office can be dropped off at their location on North Bedford Street in Georgetown. For more information, please feel free to visit their website. If you have questions about Home2Suites, contact Courtney Jarusinski with any questions.
