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SHEPHERD'S OFFICE MINISTRIES

OUR BOARD
& OUR TEAM

Eric Bodenweiser,
Founder & Board Chairman

Patti Bodenweiser, Records Specialist

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       Our prominent location has been in Eric’s family since 1980.  Along with Pastor Don Disharoon, Eric opened the Shepherd’s Office in 2014. Jim Martin attended our first meeting & came on as Pastor & Director in September of 2017. That’s when Shepherd’s Office truly sprouted its wings.

       Eric leads our Friday night Bible study, runs our monthly Board Meetings, oversees the free yard sale & maintains the property. Eric grew up in Millsboro. He & his wife Patty have lived in Georgetown since 1993.

Jim Martin Director & Board Member

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Jim Martin, originally from the Philadelphia area, struggled with homelessness in Wilmington, Delaware & then took the bus to Georgetown in 2009.  He reached out to the homeless people around him. He tried to help them as he also worked hard to stabilize and improve his own life.  He organized small Christian groups who teamed up to help each other find daily provisions & other resources.  He also organized the successful 2011 "Festival of Hope" in Georgetown for the homeless community.

 

In 2010, Jim moved into the Oxford House Program as a resident and helped to pilot and organize over 10 sober living group homes as a volunteer from 2010, 2011 and 2012.  In total, Jim opened 23 sober living group homes under various program names. He assisted the residents of the various houses to form their own organizations and manage the operations.  In 2011, Jim was awarded the Jefferson Award for Public Service for his volunteerism with the homeless while also working full time at the Department of Labor in Georgetown on a six month assignment to help returning citizens obtain employment. He also served as a live-in house manager of the New Street House for Men in Georgetown from 2013 to 2017. 

 

In 2011, he was asked to open and manage the A.C.E. Peer Resource Drop In Centers in Seaford & Georgetown focusing on homelessness, active addiction & severe mental illness. A.C.E. means Acceptance, Change, Empowerment.

 

He also served for three years on the GAC-DSAMH (Governor's Advisory Council to the Div. of Substance Abuse and Mental Health) as a Sussex County Member & served for two years as the GAC-DSAMH Chairman.  Jim Martin also served for two years as the Sussex County Member of the Behavioral Health Consortium.  He served as the Chairman of SCAPC-Seaford Chapter (Anti-drug Coalition) in 2012.

 

After 7 years with the A.C.E. Drop In Centers,  he was invited by Eric Bodenweiser to help develop and manage the Shepherd's Office program further.  He was ordained as the Shepherd's Office Pastor and Program Director in 2018.  He is a father and grandfather. He is married to his wife Cathy Martin, and they live in Georgetown.  He has four daughters, one son and six grand-kids. 

Greta Browning
Assistant Director & Board Member

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Greta Browning was born and raised in Delaware. She had always wanted to be a teacher and studied Elementary Education from 1991-1994 but decided that she wanted to do more.  Years later, Greta went back to college and earned a degree in Human Services in 2013. She completed one of her internships at the Christian Shelter in Salisbury and even stayed as a weekend volunteer and later board member; however, the commute was long, so Greta prayed that God would open a door for her to serve closer to home. She has served at the Shepherd’s Office since 2018, first as a volunteer, then as the Volunteer Coordinator, and now as the Assistant Director. Greta's jobs include overseeing the volunteers, planning meals, scheduling events, housing and case management for our guests. She is now about to take a refresher Spanish class to improve her skills and become an additional help to the Shepherd’s Office Ministries and the guests who are served there who speak predominantly Spanish. Greta is very active in her church, the community, in serving others, & is passionate about advocating for those who are unable to do so on their own. She resides in Sussex County with family and takes care of her elderly father. Her hobbies include taking nature pictures, listening to Christian music, and writing cards.

Matthew Opaliski, Board Member
~ Forever Valued & Honored Board Member ~

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SHEPHERD'S OFFICE MINISTRY MANAGERS

CLOTHING
MINISTRY SUPERVISOR
Ketley E. 

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PANTRY ROOM MINISTRY
Teresa F.

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FRONT PORCH SUPERVISOR
Robert N.

PRAYER TEAM MINISTRY
Joan W. 

Lending a Helping Hand
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How can I help at

SHEPHERD'S OFFFICE MINISTRIES? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PREPARE A MEAL TO BE DROPPED OFF

We serve about 250 meals per day! The number of daily meals is weather dependent. Although you are welcome to cook-up & bring whatever you want, we do try to have specific menu days so that all of the guests receive the same meal. For example, if we are serving Chicken & Rice on a particular day, we would have 5 to 6 ‘chefs’ prepare that meal. Shepherd’s Office Ministries can supply food to be cooked, so come ‘shop’ in our pantry!

PURCHASE ITEMS  FOR OTHER'S TO COOKS

For example, if the menu for a week includes meals such as chicken with rice, pasta salad, goulash, tuna sandwiches, then we will need ingredients such as bread, pasta, cucumbers, celery, onions, rice, etc. If you would prefer not to cook, but would like to help by purchasing the items needed for the meal prep, please either drop off the items or arrange for an online order to be delivered to the Shepherd’s Office Ministries. You may also donate gift cards for WALMART or other grocery stores, or make a financial contribution that can then be used to purchase food. Monetary donations can be made in cash or check, or by using Cash App to: $theshepherdsoffice.

 

SERVE MEALS

When meals arrive each day, we must make sure that cold foods are cold prior to being served, and we also need to heat up hot food in the microwave to ensure the proper temperature before scooping into the individual carry-out containers. We use foam hinged containers like in restaurants and we also have clear plastic bowls with tight fitting lids. Volunteers who would like to help serve meals must wear gloves provided by the Shepherd’s Office Ministries. Food is scooped into the containers then placed on a stacking tray/coolers. We need a minimum of 2 volunteers on the porch to hand out meals; meals come with a brown bag & a water bottle and are shared out during the serving hours.

 

ORGANIZE THE PANTRY ROOM

Food donations come in every day; dates must be checked to decide where items should be placed. If the item is within date, it can be shelved in the pantry area; shelving is labeled and items are grouped by categories. If an item is past due but the date is within 6 months, it is placed on the porch table where people in the community can come & take items at any time. Anything outside those dates is discarded.

 

FILL 'BROWN BAGS' FOR FAMILIES

Each meal that is served comes with a brown bag which is full of snacks, utensils, napkins and a Bible Tract. Each day, about 250 brown bags must be assembled prior to the service time of the meal. We depend on donations of the needed items, and require volunteers to fill each bag, fold it closed, and place it in large plastic tubs.

 

ORGANIZE & SANITIZE

This is one of the most needed jobs and is overlooked in some of the rooms. With the numbers of donations coming in so frequently, some items may get pushed to the side and are not unpacked; this is challenging and decreases the efficiency of the function of the Pantry Room. Also, ALL surfaces, especially door knobs, refrigerator handles and common surfaces, etc. must be cleaned daily with disinfectant wipes. Windows on the exit doors need to be kept clean which is welcoming to guests & volunteers. These ongoing ‘light cleaning’ tasks need to be done repeatedly throughout the week.

STOCK CABINETS

There are 2 filing cabinets in the hallway near the door. The drawers are labeled; the bottom drawers (1 for men, one for women) have basic provisions for the most commonly requested items - socks, wet wipes, etc. so they can be easily accessed. 

 

STOCK INFORMATION PAMPHLETS

We have a pamphlet holder filled with pamphlets & trifolds from the FOOD BANK, Domestic Violence, Social Services Agencies, DART bus schedules, etc. We need to keep it organized & filled!

HYGIENE KITS

The Shepherd’s office assembles and hands out free hygiene kits to anyone who requests them. We use gallon sized Ziploc bags which have travel/hotel size shampoo, conditioner, lotion, soap, toothbrush, comb, tissues, razor, shaving cream, washcloth, and other hygiene items that have been donated. We receive many items which must be sorted then bagged, so ‘many hands make light work’. 

 

PRAYER TEAM

We recently created a prayer wall that features a beautiful shadow box with a cross and rose petals made by one of our volunteers. A cork board labeled ‘The Wailing Wall’ is under it where we place prayer requests. We want to invite people to share their needs with volunteers who will listen and pray with them. 

                We are so grateful that you would like to help Shepherd's Office Ministries!

                We truly look forward to working with you!

 

SHEPHERD'S OFFICE MINISTRIES

invites you to join us for

an upcoming Meeting!

Volunteer Mtgs. 1 pm

1st Friday- All Volunteers

3rd Friday- New Volunteers

408 North Bedford Street, 

Georgetown, DE

302.841.2552 

VOLUNTEER

INFORMATION

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SHEPHERD'S OFFICE MINISTRIES

Repairs Needed!

Outdoor front & back stairs

Floor refinishing

Carpet removal

Install new lighting & fans

Window cleaning

Basic carpentry (bathroom)

Door installation (inside

Lots of Painting!

To volunteer to work on any

of these projects, contact

Jimmy Martin

302.858.8556

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Signing Check
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Thank you for all your help!

Your support is important to us.

Contact us today to learn how to help!

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To donate, please select from below:

Delaware Gives

https://www.degives.org/orgs/shepherds-office-inc

Cash app: $shepherdsoffice

VENMO


Mail Gift Cards & Checks to:
Shepherd's Office, Inc.
408 N. Bedford St.
Georgetown, DE 19947

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©2024 by Shepherd's Office.

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