Good Shepherd Missions

Good Shepheard United Church of Christ

supports the following missions

  • Family Promise Scan Code
  • AIDS Awareness ~ began in 1988 with World AIDS Day to focus global attention on the HIV/AIDS epidemic. People around the world wear red ribbons on December 1st and throughout the month to remind others of the devastating impact HIV/AIDS has in the world.  A local organization, AIDS Outreach, Inc., is located at 112 North Fifth Street in Allentown and coordinates volunteer efforts and finds ancillary services, support and resources necessary for successful disease management.  The director, Linda Gallagher and her staff are always looking for volunteers to transport clients to and from medical appointments, deliver medication and food to clients, implement fund raisers, develop public relations materials and/or maintain their website and develop friendships with clients.
  • Allentown Rescue Mission ~ was founded in 1900 by the Reverend Obadiah Becker to assist men who found themselves without employment, a home, or hope. His goal to “rescue, rehabilitate, and restore people in crisis” continues to be lived out today at the Allentown Rescue Mission by helping men who find themselves homeless find their way into a program or appropriate care facility (i.e. nursing, hospital, drug rehab), or into an apartment, or back home to family.  During this time of transition, these men need prayer, clothing, food, toiletries, shelter and compassion.  The Mission depends on private support and donations since they do not depend on government money.  You can learn more about Allentown Rescue Mission at their website www.allentownrescuemission.org.
  • Allentown Soup Kitchen ~ has offered a warm atmosphere, serving hot, nutritionally balanced meals to more than 100 people daily since 1982. Volunteers from churches, synagogues and ecumenical groups help prepare and serve the meal at noon Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on 8th and Walnut Street in Allentown.  Annually, nearly 30,000 people (the homeless, transient, and working poor, including 1,500 children) are served a meal in the moment of need.  This is an extension of the ministry supported by Lehigh County Conference of Churches.
  • Autism Awareness ~ was established to help increase understanding and acceptance of those living with autism. Contributions help increase supports and services for people with autism in their local communities by providing autism-friendly experiences, such as sensory-friendly museum tours, movies screenings, visit with Santa or the Easter Bunny, travel simulations and more.  World Autism Month is April and a way of increasing awareness is by wearing the color blue or lighting your house up with blue lights.  For more information on Autism Awareness, go to their website www.autismspeaks.org.
  • Bethany Children’s Home ~ began in 1863 in order to care for a young girl whose father was killed while serving in the Union Army during the Civil War and her mother could not take care of her. Since then, thousands of children and youth have found a warm, secure home and therapeutic environment where they are nurtured and educated.  Bethany Children’s Home provides long-term and short-term residential care along with emergency shelter care on a monthly basis.  Contributions made by individuals and communities of faith bring hope, strength and love to so many children and youth who otherwise would not find it elsewhere.  To discover more about Bethany Children’s Home, visit their website at www.bethanyhome.org.
  • Christian Action Council of Palmerton Area Churches (CACPAC) ~ is a combined ministry of twelve (12) Palmerton area churches working together to help those in need. CACPAC’s ministries include: Good Samaritan Fund which helps with emergency needs such as rent, electric and pharmacy bills; and the Food Pantry which collects food from local churches, Scout troops, and schools, and distributed to people in the immediate area.
  • Family Promise of Carbon County ~ giving homeless families help. Rather than spending their last dollar on a cheap hotel, homeless parents and their children can be sheltered in a participating church.  Families can stay safely together in the shelter program and receive meals, counseling, love and support during a critical time in their life.  This 501c3 organization was established in 2011 and has been making a difference in the lives of so many people in Carbon County.  For more information on how to donate or volunteer, visit their website at www.familypromisecarboncounty.org.
  • Guardianship Support Agency, Inc. ~ was established in July of 2004 as a nonprofit to act as guardian for individuals who are unable to take care of their own financial and/or personal needs and have no one who is willing and/or qualified to do so. GSAI meets the needs of these individuals while also seeking volunteers who are willing to stop and visit with clients on a regular basis.  Services are primarily located in the counties of Lehigh and Northampton with the GSAI office located in Allentown.  For more information, contact 610.351.2013.
  • Habitat for Humanity ~ works in partnership with God and people everywhere, from all walks of life, to develop communities with God’s people-in-need by building and renovating dwellings so that there are decent houses in decent communities in which people can live and grow into all that God intended. Financial contributions help purchase the items and supplies needed to refurbish and build these future homes.
  • Lancaster Theological Seminary ~ was founded in 1825 at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, as an institution dedicated to educating those called to serve as ministers of the German Reformed Church. In 1871, the Seminary settled in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  During the 1840s, when the Seminary was located at Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, the professors of the Seminary developed a new theology that incorporated the rich traditions of the early Church prior to the Reformation with new protestant thoughts developed during and following the Reformation called Mercersburg Theology.  A recurring theme of this theology was that of coming together which eventually led to the merger that created the Evangelical and Reformed Church in 1934 and then the United Church of Christ in 1957.  Today Lancaster Theological Seminary continues to train individuals from a myriad of backgrounds for ministry in numerous faith traditions.  To discover more about LTS check out their website as www.lancasterseminary.edu.
  • Meals on Wheels (Allentown) ~ began in 1971 in Lehigh County providing hot and cold meals to elderly and disabled residents who might otherwise be forced to move into institutionalized housing or suffer from malnutrition. Meals on Wheels provides a sliding fee scale based on a client’s income in order to make the service affordable.  The weekly cost for ten (10) meals is over $38, however, 76% of the clients pay less than cost ~ some as little as $6/week.  These meals are supplemented through contributions.  In addition, Meals on Wheels depends on volunteers to drive and deliver the meals around noon time.  Their program requires 62 volunteers everyday!  The headquarters for Meals on Wheels is located at 4234 Dorney Park Road; Allentown, PA
  • Meals on Wheels of Palmerton ~ began in May of 1972 in order to provide meals to those in need due to age, illness, injury, inability to shop or prepare food, or other limitations. The program provides a hot dinner, makings for a light lunch, and a simple breakfast and are prepared in the kitchen of the Palmerton Hospital.  The meals are delivered while still warm between 11:15 and noon, Monday through Friday.  Drivers and substitute drivers are always needed if you would like to volunteer and have one hour a week to spare.  For more information, check out their website at www.mealsonwheelsofpalmerton.com.
  • Muscular Dystrophy Association ~ is a nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. They are committed to “helping families live unlimited” with freedom to walk, to talk, to run, to play, to laugh, to hug, to eat, to breathe.  Every day, muscle-debilitating diseases take these abilities away from children, youth, and adults.  And every day, MDA families are doing remarkable things to live beyond their physical limits and inspire others by their courage and strength to celebrate what they can do causing us to make more can-do moments possible.  To find out more on Muscular Dystrophy Association go to their website at www.mda.org.
  • Northern Lehigh Food Bank ~ grew out of a service project by the WISH (Women Involved in Service and Health) Circle of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Slatington. In the mid-1980s, the Northern Lehigh Pastoral Association was asked to sponsor the Food Bank to assure its continuation as the number of those being served grew.  The Northern Lehigh Food Bank is guided by a Board of Directors made up of members of local congregations including Good Shepherd with Dale Breyfogle serving as Director of services provided.  Volunteers weekly assist clients in picking up foods and other Volunteers help unload donated items from local congregations or other food items from such places as USDA, Second Harvest and others.
  • Phoebe Ministries ~ began in 1903 as Phoebe Deaconess and Old Folks Home to meet the challenge of providing a home-like environment for the “aged poor” as well as educating and training young women for deaconess work. Th roughout the last century, Phoebe Ministries has greatly depended on the generosity of individuals and communities of faith to assist the greatest number of older persons with the finest housing and nursing care.  Phoebe Ministries is headquartered at 1925 Turner Street in Allentown.  To learn more about Phoebe Ministries view their website at www.phoebe.org.
  • Turning Point of Lehigh Valley, Inc. ~ provides opportunities to people to change lives ~ people who are committed to stopping the violence, people who educate, people who advocate, who counsel, who help plan safety, who are there in a crisis, people who care. It is Turning Points mission to … work toward the elimination of domestic violence; increase community awareness of the problem; and empower victims of domestic violence by providing shelter and support services.  To find out more about Turning Point visit their website at www.tplv.org or call HELPLINE 610.437.3369.
  • Veterans Assistant Living Out Reach (VALOR) ~ reaches out to Veterans to provide shelter, food, supplies and access to healthcare. “A Hand Up On The Home Front.”  VALOR sponsors Paul’s House where they help Veterans to navigate through the process of recovering and rebuilding with VALOR’s long-term vision of providing health clinics, homeless shelters, transition homes and recovery sanctuaries for Veterans in need.  To learn more about VALOR go to their website www.valorclinic.org.
  • Family Promise

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Last Modified: 11/12/2022