Bridgeport is a very generous community and to acknowledge all the physical help and donations received, Shepherd’s Corner is hosting an open house 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14 at the Pennsylvania Avenue facility.
“We’ll have punch and cookies, thank the community for its support and let them see what it is we do here,” said Mary Ellen Depue, Shepherd’s Corner coordinator. “There are so many people from different churches who see us in their bulletins, but don’t know where our building is or what it looks like.”
The number of families served through the facility is growing by leaps and bounds, Depue said. To meet that need, Shepherd’s Corner continues to be open 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and is now also open those same hours the second Saturday of each month.
“There are some people who can’t get here during the week,” Depue said.
During hours of operation, Shepherd’s Corner welcomes people in need to come browse the facility for needed items like adult and children’s clothing, shoes and accessories, books, toys and household items.
“People just come in and sign their name and indicate what town they live in. We don’t ask for addresses. They come from all over. It’s supposed to be Harrison County, but others come in for clothing and that’s fine. There’s enough for everybody,” Depue said. “Whatever they find, they can take home for free. Many people don’t realize that. We are blessed with so many donations and that’s a good problem to have.”
In addition to serving individuals through the Pennsylvania Avenue facility, Shepherd’s Corner fills food orders for people in need. That service is coordinated through Community Action.
Much of the food used to fill those orders is housed at Shepherd’s Corner, as is hygiene items and cleaning supplies. The facility receives donations on a regular basis, including various churches in the community which hold their own food drives and donate cash for the purchase of perishable items for food orders.
To date this year, 5,515 individuals have signed in at Shepherd’s Corner and taken home needed items. In addition to signing in, individuals are asked to indicate family size. According to those records, 15,984 individuals have been served since January. As per food orders, Shepherd’s Corner has filled about 200 this calendar year. Individuals who come into the facility are provided with information on how to receive food orders.
To help stock the shelves for fall and winter months, GFWC Woman’s Club of Bridgeport, Bridgeport Lions Cub and Bridgeport Fire Department, along with various community, church and club volunteers, will hold a food drive Oct. 20 in Bridgeport. Fire trucks and other vehicles will visit neighborhoods, gathering non-perishable food items – such as canned tuna, chicken and other meats, peanut butter jelly, canned fruits, vegetables and soups - cleaning supplies and hygiene items. See a full list of suggested items HERE.
“We ask that residents place their donations by their mailbox or at the end of their driveways,” said Ruth Allen of GFWC Woman’s Club of Bridgeport. “We’ll be driving around in teams to pick up items and taking them back to Shepherd’s Corner.”
It is asked that donations be in place by 10 a.m., so they will be ready and available for pickup. Residents are also welcome to drop their donations off at Bridgeport Municipal Building or Bridgeport Fire Station Oct. 15-19 or on food drive day at Shepherd’s Corner, located at 119 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The food drive is annually very successful in bringing in donations to see the facility through colder months, during a time that need is always high. Holidays are just around the corner, too, but thanks to the Bridgeport High School Key Club, Shepherd’s Corner won’t be filling Thanksgiving dinner food orders. That task has been accepted by the Key Club, which instituted the “Boxing it up to Give Thanks” program in 2017, which successfully fed hundreds during the Thanksgiving holiday. This year, the program has expanded. (Read about it HERE.)
Shepherd’s Corner serves all folks in need and that ranges from people who literally live out of their vehicles to those who hold jobs, but still have trouble making ends meet. In 2017, the facility served upwards of 26,000 people.
In addition to items distributed to community members, Shepherd’s Corner utilizes a lot of black heavy trash bags and masking tape. Donations of those items, as well as reusable shopping bags, are also welcome. When donating during hours when the facility is not open to the public, items can be left in the drop boxes.
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