A Humble Beginning

View full layout of this article here

Hope-South-FloridaOriginally founded as The Shepherd’s Way by Fred Scarbrough, a local veterinarian, HOPE South Florida’s call is based on the following Bible passage in Isaiah 58: 6-9.

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: …to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them…Then your light will break forth like the dawn.”

Scarbrough explains it this way: “In 1995, after many years of sitting in the pew every Sunday, God motivated me to action.” From that day forward, helping homeless families and individuals has been his mission with a focus on staying “God centered and servant oriented.”

Three key principles

n spite of their diverse needs, Fred recognized the one thing that those who are homeless have in common is their profound loneliness. With this in mind, he grounded the organization on three principles:

1. The homeless need to know they matter to God

2. They need a new set of friends…community.

3. They need God as the center of their lives

To accomplish this, HOPE South Florida applies the core values of love, compassion, transformation, unity, integrity and faithfulness.

A unique perspective

HOPE South Florida’s vision is to assist those families and individuals who experience homelessness with services and support that brings together the Christian community so that lives are transformed and relationships are built.

Through their firm belief that the church should be the entry point to loving community, they build hope for families facing homelessness and individuals living on the streets.

Working with partner agencies in the community committed to providing stable restorative housing programs for families and individuals, they build housing for those in crisis and through long-term support. And by engaging the church to develop meaningful relations with those experiencing homelessness, they build community.

Gaining momentum 

On August 22, 2010, eight of the largest churches in the Fort Lauderdale area joined together, in partnership with The Shepherd’s Way, to launch HOPE South Florida.

These included Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale, Christ Church United Methodist, Christian Life Center, Coral Ridge Presbyterian , First Baptist of Ft. Lauderdale, First Presbyterian of Ft. Lauderdale, Mount Bethel Baptist Church and Rio Vista Community Church.

The idea was, and is, to work collectively to “build hope, build housing and build community” as part of a holistic response to homelessness.

Today, HOPE South Florida exists as the lead organization in providing crisis and long-term housing, shared meals, and childcare to those families and individuals facing homelessness in our community through its programs of Live HOPE, Taste HOPE, Teach HOPE and Shoppe HOPE.

They need you

The story of HOPE South Florida is continually being written by people like you. Every time a homeless family finds loving community, every time a meal is shared with someone in need, and every time someone chooses to offer up their talent, time or resources in benefit of the individuals and families served, the story of Live, Taste, Teach and Shoppe HOPE continues.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of the organization and make the mission of providing hope to the hopeless and homes for the homeless a reality. Volunteering with HOPE South Florida is choosing to align your story with their story and making a difference in the lives of the homeless in your community.

If you have questions or would like to take a tour of their many programs and facilities, please visit hopesouthflorida.org.


A Partnership

HOPE South Florida is at its core a partnership, a lead organization in a network of partner churches and organizations working together to provide a holistic Christian response to homelessness in our community.

Crossing denominational lines, Protestants and Catholics alike come together, united to serve individuals and families living on the streets.

Partner Churches
Boca Community Church
Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale
Christ Church United Methodist
Christian Life Center
CityChurch Ft. Lauderdale
Coral Ridge Presbyterian
First Baptist of Ft. Lauderdale
First Presbyterian of Ft. Lauderdale
First Christian Church of Ft. Lauderdale
Hollywood Community Church
Mount Bethel Baptist Church
Rio Vista Community Church
Trinity Lutheran of Ft. Lauderdale

1st Christian Wilton Manors
1st UMC of Ft. Lauderdale
5th Avenue Church of God
All Saints Catholic
All Saints Episcopal
Assumption Catholic
Atlantic Baptist
Church by The Sea
Community Christian Church
Emmanuel Baptist
First Baptist of Pompano
First Church of Coral Springs
First Evangelical Lutheran
Gloria Dei Lutheran
Lighthouse Church
Little Flower Catholic Church
Metropolitan Baptist
New Life United Methodist
OASIS Church
Parkridge Baptist
Riverside Christian Fellowship
Sawgrass Community Church
Shepherd of the Coast Lutheran
St. Anthony Catholic
St. Bartholomew Catholic
St. Benedict Episcopal
St. Bonaventure Catholic
St. Christopher Episcopal
St. Gabriel Catholic
St. Gregory Catholic
St. Martin Episcopal
St. Maurice Catholic
St. Paul Lutheran
St. Pius X Catholic
St. Sebastian Catholic
The Faith Center
Zion Lutheran

If You Are Homeless

If you are homeless in Broward County and need assistance, call the Homeless Helpline at:
• 954-563-HELP (4357)
• Toll Free: 1-888-537-0211,
• 2-1-1 any time of the day or night for any service.

Share this article

Comments