The newsletter provides an update on Shepherd's HOPE, a nonprofit that feeds 2000 families per month through a food pantry. It thanks donors for their support, which has allowed the organization to grow from providing lunches to a single homeless man to serving thousands in need each month. The newsletter outlines Shepherd's HOPE's 5-step program and announces plans to expand services in 2010 through neighborhood revitalization efforts like housing rehabilitation and a new church planting. It requests continued financial support to keep helping families through the holidays and beyond.

1. Hello Everyone! The time has so quickly passed since posting our first newsletter of the Spring and
Summer 2009. Fall is almost behind us and I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Holiday
Season.
The first thing I would like to do is to thank those of you who
have given so faithfully and generously in support of Shepherd’s
HOPE. It is only because of your faithful support that has
allowed us to feed 2000 families in the month of November. It is
our expectation that this number will increase in the coming
months. Believe it or not, we have been able to provide for all
these families out of a 1000 sq ft bungalow, all because we have
the best organized and hardest working team of volunteers I
have ever had the pleasure of working with and I mean “TEAM”
with a capital “T”! This is a team of volunteers that all live in the
community. Very few organizations can boast that their day to
day operations are totally run by people from the local
community and I am so proud to be a part of this team.
Throughout this newsletter you will be seeing the faces of the
people that make up the serving team of Shepherd’s HOPE.
As we told you in our first newsletter, Shepherd’s HOPE opened the
doors of our walk in food pantry on March 3, 2009. But the real
journey began about 4 years ago while driving to one of my jobsites.
As I would exit the expressway at the same exit each morning I would
notice the same homeless person. So one morning as I was preparing
my lunch, I decided to prepare a lunch for this homeless person. On
the third day of giving him a lunch I greeted him and I said good
morning and in return he thanked me for the lunch. He then
proceeded to ask me about the tomatoes I included in the lunch
stating they were the best tomatoes he had ever eaten and concluded
by saying, “tomorrow could you please put a little more mayo on my
tuna sandwich?” At that point we began to talk every morning. As
the weather got colder I would stop and buy him a cup of coffee and

2. we would talk about his life. I asked him how he dealt with the cold winters in Chicago. He told me that
on really cold days he panhandles for enough money to ride the “L” and would ride it day and night.
I felt I had made a new friend but one day in January he wasn’t
in his usual spot. For the next few weeks I would get off at
different exits looking for him but was never able to find him.
I never saw him again. In my quest to find him I began to
notice how many homeless people there were on the streets
and I would ask the Lord, “How do you want me to feed all
these homeless people? I can’t possibly accomplish this.”
This really bothered me, so I started praying on it. I prayed for
weeks and one evening about a month later it came to me.
My wife and I own a home in the Englewood neighborhood of
Chicago that had previously been rented to a tenant who
destroyed the house over a period of 2 years. The house was
sitting vacant while we explored what we were going to do
with the house, either sell it or put it to a better use. I went
home that night and told my wife the thoughts I had to open a food pantry at 5732 S. Lowe. She
thought I had totally lost my mind! She pointed out that it is one of the poorest and dangerous areas in
the country. I told her that is what makes it so appealing to the Lord. After praying on it for months I
knew that Englewood was the community where the Lord wanted us to launch our ministry of feeding
people and rebuilding lives.
This began a 3 year journey that culminated in the founding
of Shepherd’s HOPE with a 5 step program designed to
achieve our mission which is to recognize and meet the needs
of our neighbors, pledging to help individuals become
passionate contributors to family, community and society.
We vow to do this one life at a time. We began step 1 – to
combat physical hunger – by opening the food pantry on
March 3, 2009 at 5732 S. Lowe. A journey that began by
feeding one homeless man a homemade lunch has in less
than one year blossomed into a local food pantry that is
now feeding 8000 people per month!
Besides the food pantry, we also have a delivery program
that is presently serving under resourced churches, senior
citizens homes and unwed mothers facilities. We also have
begun step 2 which is combating the lack of spiritual awareness. We are accomplishing this by holding
weekly bible studies in the lower level of the pantry and through daily ministering of the word to
volunteers and patrons of the pantry. Because a few individuals were faithful in following the
prompting of the Lord, Shepherd’s HOPE is a reality; lives are beginning to change and people are
coming to Christ. It is only because of financially faithful people like you that Shepherd’s HOPE has
been able to feed all these people and accomplish the life changes that are taking place every day.

3. As we all know this country is in economic crisis but communities like Englewood are in economic
collapse. Without your continued support there are many families in this neighborhood that won’t eat.
We know everybody is affected by this but most of us can still afford to eat. With the holiday season
upon us, we would appreciate if you would keep Shepherd’s HOPE in your prayers and please do what
you can to help us financially.
Besides providing food, it is our goal to provide 1000 children in
the neighborhood with Christmas stockings stuffed with candy,
small toys and appropriate children’s movies or books. Listed
below are a few ways you can become part of what we wish to
accomplish. Please remember when you consider your
donation(s) that we feed 2000 families per month and we are
totally financed by your private donations.
Food Pantry Donations (one time or monthly donations will be
appreciated)
Feed (4) families for 1 month $40.00
Feed (10) families for 1 month $100.00
Feed (20) families for 1 month $200.00
Feed (50) families for 1 month $500.00
Feed (100) families for 1 month $1000.00
Christmas Stocking Experience (one time donation)
Sponsor (5) children $40.00
Sponsor (10) children $80.00
Sponsor (20) children $160.00
Sponsor (50) children $400.00
Sponsor (100) children $800.00
Sponsor (200) children $1600.00
I want to thank everyone in advance for taking the time to read
this newsletter and for making the decision to financially assist
Shepherd’s HOPE through the Christmas season and into the
New Year.
Speaking of the “New Year”, we are making plans to put steps 3
through 5 into action in 2010. In January we will be starting a
neighborhood initiative we call “The Neighborhood
Revitalized” that will put every step of our 5 step program into
action. We will be commencing our 4 year mission to revitalize
this neighborhood in January. Our goal is to start with our
biblical life mentoring which is the heart of Shepherd’s HOPEs
mission. This type of mentoring is what separates us from all

4. other neighborhood initiatives because we teach people to be responsible for their actions and that
there are consequences for not living life the way God intends for us to live. Along with the mentoring
we plan to rehab or build 28 homes per year for the next four years. These homes will be rented to
biblically trained families with Section 8 vouchers who are in need of a place to live. It is also our goal to
expand the food pantry by the end of 2010 to accommodate for the growth we are experiencing. By
the end of 2012 our plans include the planting and building of a new church.
Look for a detailed plan of The Neighborhood Revitalized sometime in January which will explain how
you can volunteer or become financially involved. At this time I would like to thank you again for your
faithful support of this ministry and wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
God Bless You,
Brian Anderson - Founder of Shepherd’s HOPE
Laura Finato-Anderson, George Bigham & George DiMartino - Founding Members
P.S. Please pray for our nation and its leaders in guiding us out of this economic crisis.
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5732 s lowe, chicago, il 60621 ph: 773 846 9494 fax: 773 846 9490 www.shepherdsHOPEchicago.org