Shepherd Community Center

Shepherd Community Center is a faith-based nonprofit organization working to combat the multi-generational cycle of poverty on the near eastside of Indianapolis through programs addressing food insecurity, mentorship, education, and advocacy. 

In 1984, during the golden age of social justice and urban ministry focus for the Church of the Nazarene, J. K. Warrick, then-pastor of the Westside Church of the Nazarene in Indianapolis, suggested that the congregants start an urban outreach program. Volunteers answered the call by hosting a Thanksgiving dinner at Central Nazarene Church in downtown Indianapolis. In 1985 the group adopted the name Central Nazarene Mission. 

Reverend Dean Cowles, a graduate of the Nazarene Theological Seminary secured weekday use of space at the Central Church of Nazarene in 1986. He and 12 other congregants established a compassionate ministry that worked to meet the physical, emotional, and mental needs of the eastside community by building trust, connecting people to the church, and striving for justice. Cowles and his group aimed to extend compassion by offering food and clothing year-round.  

In 1988 the mission purchased a 14,000-square-foot building adjacent to the Central Church of the Nazarene. The acquisition allowed for an expansion of programming to include a food pantry and an after-school program. At this point, the mission became the Shepherd Community Center. Early directorship of the center came from Reverend Cowles (1986-1990, 1992-1996) and Reverend John Hay Jr. (1990-1992).   

After a few years of transition during which the Shepherd Community Center continued to focus on ministering to the homeless and providing access to food, Reverend Jay Height assumed the executive director’s role in 1998. Height had served as director of development for many years. He expanded the center’s programming and physical footprint through land and building acquisitions. In 2007 Height initiated the center’s 25-year plan to help families break the cycle of poverty called the Continuum of Care.  

The plan called for partnerships with numerous social service organizations in Indianapolis, upgrades to the existing facility, and the establishment of programming initiatives at the center: 

• Project Jordan supported mothers and babies (2006)  

• Family Ministries established a free health clinic (2007)

• Martindale-Brightwood Center for Working Families (see Martindale-Brightwood) was established (2010)

• After-school programs emerged through a partnership with Indianapolis Public School 58 (2013)

• The Shalom Project improved services from Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) and Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services (IEMS) Paramedics (2015)

• The Celebrate Recovery Program uplifted those people struggling with addiction (2015) 

• The addition of classrooms, a computer lab, storage space, and a teaching kitchen increased the center’s ability to help the community (2017)

• The Shepherd Neighborhood Childcare at Minnie Hartman (inside the former IPS 78 building) for newborns through kindergarten was formed through a partnership with the Near East Area Renewal (NEAR) and the Minnie Hartman Center (2020)

• A shared library system with the Indianapolis Public Library gave the community access to library materials and resources (2021)

• An expansion of the food pantry via a grant from Gleaners Food Bank (2022)

The above iniatives all worked to help the Shepherd Community Center meet the needs of the eastside residents and achieve the goals set out in the Continuum of Care. 

As of 2023, Shepherd Community Center has served over 35,000 meals annually, has provided aid to over 1,000 individuals and families, and has a 90 percent graduation rate for children in its programs. The center serves as an exemplar for successful holistic urban ministries around the United States.