Shepherd's Supply is a member of:
The Moody Chamber of Commerce
Shepherd’s Supply Inc.
P.O Box 131
Moody, Alabama 35004
Office: 205-640-4616
Moody Fire Department
The Moody Fire Department has a Christmas Program called: Toys for Kids. They have provided this service to the Moody community for a great number of years. When Shepherd Supply was the New Kid on the block 14 years ago, Joe Nobles of the Moody Fire Department was the ONLY other local charitable organization that was willing to share wisdom, work with us and exchange information. Thank you Joe. For the last 2 years Shepherd Supply has had the privilege of being part of the MFD Toys for Kids shopping team. This year, November 25th, 2009 we had the opportunity of serving on the MFD FRIED TURKEY FUNDRAISER TEAM that was raising money for the MFD Toys for Kids program. Once again…Shepherd Supply volunteers found yet another opportunity to combine fun and service. Our team had a great time. Our presence was welcomed by the firefighters and our team had a good time getting to know them a little better. Between the slipping and sliding, moving pans and getting to know one another, MFD sold 72 fried turkeys at $30.00 each. EVERY DIME will go toward their goal of putting smiles on children’s faces Christmas morning. The Firefighters, Police Officers, and Emergency Medical Teams of Moody Alabama are great folks. They do a lot more for this community than the general public realizes. The Military men and women go abroad to fight for our freedoms. Fire Fighters, Police Officers, and Emergency Medical Teams will fight for YOUR life right here at home. I cannot say enough about these 4 organizations. The next time you see one of them out somewhere…take a moment to say "Thank you", and Pray to God that you and yours never NEED their services.
I would like to Thank the Shepherd team members that had the privilege of helping to make sure that this project was a success:
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Thanks Giving 2009
A sweet spirit in old years. What was her world as a girl? Tormented, starved, thrown down a dry well, brutalized, invisible otherwise. Today I heard her speak of a time before that. A time from a Child's life of carefree laughter and hugs. Enough food, warm clothes and a bed to sleep in. Grandma's house with its wood floors, open windows and wrap around porch. Warm bread in the oven and lemonade on hot days. Cool breezes on warm nights. Where the willow tree with their low hanging full branches that gave shade from a blistering summer afternoon, could be the same branch's that Grandma switched your legs with at dusk because you just couldn't resist that fresh baked apple pie that was sat in the window to cool a spell before supper. Those were days that are long forgotten. Burying the bad, sometimes, we don't realize that we also bury the good. With the tone of a child she says, "I like going over there. It reminds me of grandma's house. You know, you always feel welcome. Nobody ignores you. People give you real hugs and there is lots of real good food. I could even have two plates if I want it". Instead of being pushed down aside to a dark corner or underneath the steps, tonight, she had some strong, kind young men that helped her down the stairs to the car. She is legally blind now and spends her days in a wheel chair due to old injuries from people that didn't care. The scars (though unseen) are there. They are trifling evidence of being unloved. Unwanted. She was Thankful today. She was thankful that she is wanted. She was thankful to God. She is 72. And TODAY… She is wanted. I don’t cry often. Probably not as much as I should for my own mental health and that of those around me. Tonight… I wept. It feels like an old cry. Like tears that should not and could not be seen by human eyes for fear of being perceived as weak or wanton. Tears that were not even mine. Well, my night is coming to a close. The children are at my (chosen) sisters home with her family and my husband. I am sitting on the porch at the farm - 88 acres. There is no one to see me and the phone isn't even ringing. Its quiet. Peaceful. I am aware that I am loved. What is that feeling? It's my heart. It... it feels, whole. My spirit feels…safe. The tears are there and yet… it is okay because I know that there is someone somewhere that wants me. It makes my journey worth it. The mountains, the valleys, and all of the roads in between that lead to either. I am not alone. I am thankful.
Dawn
I would like to say Thank you to a few folks that allowed provision in one way or another for families and seniors this Thanksgiving.
You make it happen!
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Atrox 2009:
We had a blast! 35 Volunteers. 21 days. 5:30 pm until you couldn't’t stand it anymore that night. Can I tell you that some nights were just plain crazy. We had one or two scary moments, but nothing that we couldn't handle as a family. We laughed. We prayed. We ate together every night. Thank You Sharon Owen, Sheryl Summers, Kathy and Tommy Domingue, Steve and Zac Cole, Chick-fil-a, Kim Davis, Dr. Redmond and Dr., Robert Funk & Assoc. for feeding our crew. We drank more PowerAde, hot chocolate, water and coffee than any of us older folks needed to. Speaking of which… Thank God for Daryl at AA Surplus. He allowed Shepherd Supply to keep a crock pot and hot water urn in his store as well as sharing his warm, toilet paper stocked bathroom with us. THANK YOU DARYL! Also, this year a member of our Wednesday team donated the use of her golf cart. My knees say, "THANK YOU". Anyway, we withstood heavy rains, cold nights, thousands of cars (at least it felt that way), teenage drivers that didn't do well with backing up and parking straight and older drivers that were downright grumpy, late night clean up, line jumpers (don't ask) and people that just could not understand why we would did everything for charity. Although, when people found out why Shepherd Supply was volunteering there… they seemed a little kinder. When we would go through the Q room to pick up, they wouldn't mind putting trash in the bucket for us or helping to pick up someone else's trash. It was pretty cool to experience that. You know, People are generally like that. When you have the chance to talk to people one on one, we all seem to treat each other a little bit kinder. We had the opportunity to talk to just about every person that we parked. We NEVER preach to people but as we talked with them, they began to understand the "why" of what we do. Without being pushy. We treated them with respect and more often than not…we got what we gave. We don't know yet how many American dollars we will receive this year for Shepherd Supply from that fundraiser but ATROX (Children's Charities Inc.) has always been fair with us. Last year we received $13,000.00 for our efforts. I can't begin to tell you how grateful we are for having the opportunity to receive that kind of money. Most people know that Shepherd Supply is a 501-C3 Public Charity that receives NO grants from the government so we have to depend on private donors and a few churches to supply our needs for the clients that we service.
People that came really enjoyed the Haunt experience. On Friday and Saturday nights there were long lines which meant lots and lots of cars. Speaking of lots, there were other teams of volunteers from other charities (another group from Leeds) working the big back lot and Street Crossing. The last time I checked on the Back Lot, they were grilling hotdogs, drinking hot coffee, policing car loads of excited teenagers and parking cars. The street crossing team (I believe they were from the Leeds Band) had cars and pedestrians going in every direction. We are talking organized chaos here. They did a great job of keeping folks safe on that busy entrance after they parked. The monsters did a terrific job of scarring the beejeezes out of everyone… including me! Let me say right here that Monster mom (her staff) and Parking Papa Pat did a great job of keeping order, however chaotic it may have appeared to be. With all of that being said let me now take a moment to not only thank The Shepherd Supply Volunteers that served with sincerity and consistency on this project but to also say "Thank you for taking care of me":
In closing, let’s not forget the spouses , family members and friends that sacrificed their time to watch our children so that we all could serve. A very special thank you to my Giorgia. You were a brave young soul Giorgia.
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On WEDNESDAY's :
Most folks that know me or our warehouse volunteers, know that Wednesday's are busy for us. Wednesday morning is (in-house) Relational Wednesday Food Give-out Day. That means that we are there consistently giving out food on that day of the week, allowing clients to "shop" through clothing and other items that people have donated to the mission as well as to pick up a bag of food and of course EVERYTHING IS FREE! We pray with these folks, hug them, listen to them, talk to them , cry with them (Okay… THAT would not be my department) and generally share love with them. Relational Wednesday at the mission has fostered between the clients, a relationship of interdependence. People that generally would’t speak to each other, now spend time helping each other find items they are in need of, talk about their week and even share their concerns with each other. This day is about building trust. Our clients don't rush in for food because they know that when you are part of our family, their food will be there waiting on them. They are treated with respect so they give each other and us respect. Some of them didn't say much to anyone when they started coming there for service and yet those same ones are the first to say to the others "I can help". WOW… what a little respect can do! Shepherd Supply Inc. not only wants to provide food for our clients but also an opportunity to reclaim (for the first time in a long time) self respect no matter the state of physical or emotional need. The team that serves on Wednesday is a motley crew indeed. Diverse in background, race, religion, formal education, and economic status. Each one however, brings to the table a serving of compassion that is almost beyond my own comprehension. Make no mistake… we have a great time cuttn' up in that warehouse before the clients ever get there. Our day starts at 8:00am.
Two volunteers drive 45 minutes, one way, every Wednesday morning to pick up food from Oak Mountain Mission. The other volunteers are busy separating, sorting, picking up, packing out or dropping off. No one has a particular job except, Wilma. She checks names off of the list as clients arrive to pick up food and helps pack out food bags for seniors that are delivered by other volunteers each week. Wilma, who is wheelchair bound, lives in a nursing home, is picked up every week and is brought to the warehouse in order that she may continue to be a servant unto The Lord in spite of her physical limitations. Anyway, everyone is doing whatever needs to be done. Again… can I say the word BUSY comes to mind here. The Wednesday Volunteers have all served with Shepherd Supply for a number of years. Pat is the newest member of our little family. He has served with us for about a year now. Most of them have been there at least 3 years and some for 9 years. Talk about faithful. Rain or shine…they are there. We have had a few that have had to leave either due to health or moving out of state. Diane Evans. Quite possibly the naturally funniest, youngest 70 year old I have ever met. Her favorite band? KISS! There was Pam Mitchell. Dirt and dust bunnies would run from this woman. Then there was Edith James. Edith, a fine woman of tender mercy left us because of health issues. Cancer to be exact. She is currently battling the Cancer with the support of her natural family. Michael Benson. Just a good guy that knows how to shake a tree. Michael left due to health problems. Leon Dudley. Friend and Driver. Leon left due to health problems. Overall, Shepherd Supply has been blessed with (I have no doubt) THE BEST Wednesday volunteers this side of the Mississippi! Now I would like to thank these people that serve with me, side by side, every Wednesday…rain or shine. Thank you for your hearts and spirits of servitude:
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