About

The Shepherd Place is a family shelter in Dover, Delaware, founded some 25 years ago by Father Lawrence Hunt and others who felt an urgent desire to meet the needs of homeless people in the Dover area.

About us

The Shepherd Place is an organization has been a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit since 1990, with a mission to empower, motivate, support, and inspire our homeless clients to reestablish their independence while simultaneously, mainstreaming back into society that equips them with a new mindset to succeed and pay it forward to other's in transitional need.

The Shepherd's Place is proud to have impacted the lives of countless clients and has witness the testimonial success of our program changing the lives of others in need. Our organization believes that every homeless client should have access to aid that grants one a sufficient head start to achieve regardless of their race, creed, ethnicity or background.

Our Story

The large, stately white house that has come to symbolize the shelter was built around 1920 on the Kesselring farm.

It passed between various families until 1988 when the estate of the former owner transferred the house and property to The Shepherd Place for one dollar.


At the time of the transfer, a group of local citizens led by Father Hunt was working to establish a shelter in the South Dover area to serve the critical needs of homeless families. With the acquisition of the old house and its large outbuilding, the problem of a place to serve those in need was solved. As is so often the case, the real work was just beginning.

The large stately white house that has come to symbolize the shelter was built around 1920 on the Kesselring farm that was then south of Dover. It passed between various families until 1988 when the estate of the former owner transferred the house and property to The Shepherd Place for one dollar. At the time of the transfer, a group of local citizens led by Father Hunt was working to establish a shelter in the South Dover area to serve the critical needs of homeless families. With the acquisition of the old house and its large outbuilding, the problem of a place to serve those in need was solved. As is so often the case, the real work was just beginning.

The Fire

The Shelter continues to provide housing, case management, food and other basic needs at no cost to those who need them. Those needs include clothing and other items as well as a limited amount of household supplies to help those that move from the shelter into their own home or apartment. The vast majority of these items are provided to the clients during their state law-mandated ninety-day maximum stay, as well as former clients in need, and are donated by the community. Donations of cash and goods are very important as the Shelter itself receives no direct Federal aid. The Shepherd Place is an affiliated United Way agency.

The Mission


Board of Directors

President: Taj McNair
Vice President: Dante’ Johnson
Treasurer: Robert Gordy, Jr.
Secretary: Vacant


Officers