Backpack Shepherds
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep”. John 21:17
BACKPACK SHEPHERDS: THE NEED CONTINUES
In February, 2007, this message appeared in The Shepherd’s Voice:
We have a new opportunity at Good Shepherd Church to help feed some economically challenged Northland families each weekend.
Hungry children are at a serious risk in both physical and cognitive development. We at Good Shepherd have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of 15 families, where one child attends Eastgate Middle School. These children have been identified by the school counselors as having a critical need to receive easy to prepare nutritious meals to feed themselves and their family members each weekend. We have agreed to take on these families (80 people in all) from Hillside Christian Church for the remainder of the school year. Each week, different teams will fill backpacks with enough food for six weekend meals. These backpacks will be sent home with the Eastgate children each Friday afternoon. You can bring in food donations at any time. Please help with the Backpack Shepherds project.
This coming school year, we plan to serve about 190 low-income students and family members at Eastgate Middle School and about 120 low-income students and family members at Oakwood Manor Elementary School.
We need your help! We are always eager to add new volunteers. Hunger is not going away; in fact, the need continues to grow. We need to add members to each of the four rotating teams of packers, plus additional food buyers, drivers who pick up empty backpacks from the schools and drivers who deliver filled backpacks to the schools. We also need volunteers who can help with stocking the shelves and rotating the canned goods according to expiration date. We need donations of canned goods and on-going financial donations. And we need your prayers.
Please join us. We have both daytime and evening opportunities. David Talbot or Doris Fry will be glad to help you find a team that fits your schedule.
A hearty ―thank you is sent to everyone at Good Shepherd for the generous support of this ministry Please help Backpack Shepherds continue to meet the expanding needs of our community.
C.O.G.S
The COGS program is enables Good Shepherd parishioners
to help other parishioners with home maintenance projects
in and around the house. We are looking for small projects
to do. Some material and all labor will be provided by the
church.
Some projects we have completed are wheelchair ramps,
yard work, plumbing and electrical maintenance. Contact
David Talbot or Bob Kile if you have any questions about the
type of work we are able to do.
Synergy Services
If you have any unused, travel-sized shampoos, soaps, or
other bath or beauty products that you
don't need please leave them in the
basket in the foyer of the church.
We donate these to Synergy Services for
the use of the women, teens, and children
who take refuge at their facility. For more
information, visit www.synergyservices.org.
Clay County Clothes Closet
The Clothes Closet gives new & good used clothing to the
needy at no cost to them. The emphasis is on children and
women who find they must return to work. Donations of
used clothing are appreciated & there is a convenient drop
off shed in the rear of the building at 3939 N.
Cleveland. Funds are needed for operating expenses, to
maintain the building, & to buy some clothing. The staff of
the closet is all volunteer from various churches. Good Shepherd’s
day is the 4th Tuesday every month, from 8:00 AM to
10:30 AM., and there is a need for more help. Our contact
person is Isabel Deibler. Please note on your check memo
line “Clay Co. Clothes Closet”.
Northland Assistance Center
The Northland Assistance Center is an agency located in
North Kansas City that helps people living in the Northland
with emergency funds for needs such as food, clothing,
gasoline, etc. It is funded by donations, support from
churches in the north, and one major benefit per year.
Support can be given in the form of food (which can be
brought to our church) or money, to help finance the ongoing
operating expenses of the agency. Volunteers are always
needed to assist with the food pantry. It is located in North
Kansas City at 2018 Gentry. Their phone number is
421-2243. For more information contact our representative,
John Zaiger, the president of this organization. Please note
on your check memo line "Northland Assistance Center".
The Shepherd Center
The Shepherd Center
of the Northland is a faith-based organization whose
mission is to assist senior citizens so they may remain in
their homes for as long as is feasible. By providing personal
services, social contacts and life enrichment programs
hundreds of our older adults stay active and happier than
they might be without this help. Your gifts help make this
possible and are very much appreciated.
Brochures providing detailed information about the various
services & programs are available in the tract rack and
on the bulletin board.
Do you have some free time you could fill by helping
make life easier for older people? Shepherd Center has a
need for people to take clients to medical appointments, do
personal shopping , visit homebound clients, answer phone
calls in the office, help with programs, etc. There are many
parishioners at Good Shepherd who are enjoying doing this.
Ask Nancy or John Bash for more information about it.
For more information, call Clay County Senior Services at
455-4800.
The Nearly New Shop
4710 N.E. Vivion Road (Between the post office and Big Burger)
453-3063
The Nearly New Shop is a thrift shop with a purpose. For
over 23 years, this not-for-profit store has operated with
one goal in mind: To financially assist non-profit charities
in Clay & Platte Counties. Each year proceeds from the
store are distributed through grants to northland
charitable agencies that provide assistance to individuals
and families in the Northland.
The items we sell are donated to the store (clothing,
shoes, purses, books, computers and household items).
They are then sorted, checked over, priced and displayed
in the store. The Nearly New Shop offers items that are
nearly new, very gently used, or sometimes new.
Donations are appreciated and welcomed. If you are
cleaning out closets, having a garage sale, etc, please
keep the Nearly New Shop in mind when you are trying to
figure out what to do with the leftovers. Donations are
accepted Monday thru Saturday from 9:30 - 4:30 and
Sunday from noon - 4:30. After putting donations in the
box outside the front door, step inside to obtain a Tax
Receipt.
Volunteer – some volunteers work once a month, some
weekly. Some people work at a schedule time, others
come in when they are available. There are a variety of
jobs to be done.
Shop - While the inventory changes daily, there is always a
selection of clothing, jewelry, gift items, toys, books,
purses, shoes, household items, and furniture. These
items, donated by people in the community, are offered for
sale at very reasonable prices, and the profit is given back
to agencies in the area for to assist them in their work.
The store is open Monday – Friday from 9:30 AM – 6:00
PM, Saturday 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM, and Sunday noon to
5:00 PM. For up-to-date information, visit our website at www.nearlynewshop.org.
The Nearly New Shop board meets monthly at Good
Shepherd. Over the years, several people associated with
Good Shepherd have served on the board and volunteered
to work in the shop. Parishioner Donna Zaiger
is currently on the Nearly New Shop board.
