Local nonprofit seeking donations to serve homeless population amid current cold snap

GEORGETOWN, Del. – Temperatures are dropping and organizations like the Shepherd’s office in Georgetown expect an influx of people in need of their services. To serve them, they’ll need a helping hand from the community.

“The wintertime can be horrible. It’s the most horrible time of the year if you’re homeless,” Director Jim Martin said.

Sweaters, gloves, and even blankets: those are just some of the must have items Martin said they need as a cold snap is now upon us. “They’re trying to stay warm in the cold temperatures which really started yesterday. We’ve had full days of busyness around yesterday and today,” he said.

That’s only half the battle, as Food Manager Sandra Rager told us they also make sure that people they serve don’t go without something to eat. “When I first started here, we were serving around 150 meals daily. We’ve went up to anywhere from 260-300 meals daily,” Rager said.

Back in October, the organization hit a record of over 4,000 meals served. Most of the food prepared for those dinners is donated, but they also provide hundreds of brown bags daily for their clients filled with snacks and more. “That’s the expensive stuff. That’s where we’re really suffering because of the high cost of everything,” Martin said.

Martin added that they’re just one of only a few resources in the area serving the local homeless population. He said that number is only growing. “If you do the math and multiply it by the whole county, I think there’s probably 10,000 people who are homeless right now. We have just about 400-500 who are homeless just in the area,” Martin said.

Martin said no matter the amount of those who need help, they stand ready to make a difference. “It’s kind of like a no barriers kind of program. You just come on up, tell us what you need, and we’ll get it,” he said.

The Shepherd’s Office’s main work truck used to visit local food banks and other community partners has now experienced a mechanical failure. They say that will be a crucial fix to continue their level of operations.

They also opened an Amazon Wish List with around 50 items on it. You can click on that link if you’d like to donate.

The Shepherd’s Office recently celebrated their five-year anniversary earlier this year.