Shepherd’s Center is ‘thirty-five and thriving’
The Shepherd’s Center has just completed a record-setting year and as it begins its 35th year of service to older adults in our community, it is proud to announce it is “thirty-five and thriving.”
Here are just a few of their achievements in 2019:
*Served a record 6,094 older adults, an 11% increase of 2018
*Provided 10,536 one-way trips by transportation volunteers, an increase of 25%, serving 1,452 individuals with trips to doctors’ appointments, dialysis, and grocery shopping
*Provided 800 minor home repair services, an increase of 8%
*Provided activities that saw 38,247 visits to the senior center, an increase of 16%
*Saw Vital Living participants increase to a record 3,250, a 14% increase
*Over 2,300 individuals and families received services through the Faith in Action Care Program
*Over 3,200 participants engaged in over 50 activities a week, both at the center and throughout the community, with an attendance of 38,247
These record accomplishments were made possible by over 300 dedicated volunteers who invested over 30,000 hours of service to our community.
Additionally, these achievements were made possible by an increasing number of individual donors, fundraising income, corporate support and program grants, as well as committed staff and board of directors.
The Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem promotes and supports successful aging by providing direct services, volunteer opportunities and enrichment programs for older adults. The center is certified as a Senior Center of Excellence through the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services and is a model for “senior center without walls.”
Founded in 1985, the Shepherd’s Center is an affiliate member of The Shepherd’s Centers of America. The Faith in Action Care Program offers transportation to medical appointments, grocery shopping and other essential needs, minor home repair services, and visitation and caregiver support services for older adults and their families. The program also coordinates the Coalition of Ministries with Older Adults, the Powerful Tools for Caregivers training for family caregivers, It’s All About You Caregiver Day Out, as well as the Saturday Night Fellowship program in collaboration with 13 congregations in the community.
The Vital Living Senior Center Program provides health promotion and wellness activities, creative arts, lifelong learning opportunities, book and discussion groups, day trips, SHIIP/Medicare counseling, social engagement activities such as bridge, and fellowship opportunities.
These significant increases speak to the growing number of aging adults in our community. Over the next 20 years, Forsyth County is projected to grow by an additional 81,794 residents, of which 41% will be age 60 or over.
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, The Shepherd’s Center has suspended all activities and volunteer service. It is still providing necessary doctor’s visits and trips to dialysis, but is using paid transportation instead of volunteers. Staff is still working, but the building is closed to visitors until further notice.
For updates and information on changes, or to see how you can donate to support the services they provide, please visit www.shepherdscenter.org or call 336-748-0217.
