HISTORY AND MISSION - PROMOTING AND SUPPORTING SUCCESSFUL AGING
The Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem is an interfaith ministry that promotes and supports successful aging by providing direct services, volunteer opportunities, and enrichment programs for older adults.
The Shepherd’s Center was founded in 1985 and is an affiliate member of The Shepherd’s Centers of America, which is comprised of approximately 75 affiliates nationwide. We celebrated our 37th year of service in 2022, have over 3,000 members and over 400 dedicated volunteers who provide in excess of 40,000 volunteer hours yearly.
The Shepherd's Center is certified as a Senior Center of Excellence through the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services and is a model "senior center without walls". More than 7,000 older adults are served annually through the center’s programs and services.
Faith In Action Care Program offers transportation to medical appointments and grocery shopping, minor home repairs as well as visitation and caregiver respite, for older adults and their families. These services allow older adults to remain independent in their own homes for as long as possible. Over 3,000 individuals and families receive services through the program each year.
The program also coordinates the Coalition of Ministries with Older Adults, the Powerful Tools for Caregivers training for family caregivers and the Saturday Night Fellowship program in collaboration with congregations in the community.
The Vital Living Senior Center Program provides health promotion and fitness activities, bridge, creative arts, book discussion groups, day trips, life-long learning opportunities, SHIIP/Medicare Counseling and fellowship opportunities.
The program serves over 3,500 older adults and has an attendance of over 38,000 participants each year.
The Congregational Nurse and Health Ministry Program operated as a program of the Shepherd’s Center from 2009 to July 2017. In July 2017 the program was transferred to Novant Health.
The program fostered community partnerships to promote, develop, and support health ministries in and through faith communities. Based upon a volunteer model, nurses and lay persons from the participating congregations served as volunteers within their own faith community.
Continuing education and networking was provided through the program to support the participating congregations. From 2009 to 2017, 60 congregations and over 200 nurses participated in the network reaching over 90,000 individuals with wellness support and services
For more information or to become involved in the program contact, Cathy Hasty, Director of Health Ministry, Presbyterian Medical Center, at mchasty@novanthealth.org or 704-384-4197.