Who We Are

A Christian Outreach and Support Center Serving the Needy in Carroll County, Maryland


30 Carroll Street in Westminster, MD, across from Grace Lutheran Church

No matter what family or individual comes through the doors of 30 Carroll Street in Westminster, MD, our offering of a sense of peace and kindness can often be the first step towards relieving a crisis and beginning a roadway to healing.

Year after year, our doorway has become more crowded with those in trouble.  As people come and go, what always remains is the lasting desire to help whenever possible.  Our programs are simple, concentrating on the smaller kindnesses that are needed in our everyday living and that are many times forgotten in the larger scheme of need.  Of course, when the challenge of a long-term solution confronts our staff, every effort is made to effect a positive change, which often stretches our resources to the limit.

To meet the growing short and long-term needs of those we serve, your in-kind support, volunteerism, prayers, and dollars are greatly needed.  We do not receive any federal, state, or county funding and therefore must depend on kind giving to make it possible for us to help those less fortunate in the Carroll County Community.

Would you like to get involved in our mission?  Navigate through our website to learn more about our organization and how you can help us share more kindness throughout our community!

Our Mission

    In a loving response to our Lord Jesus Christ’s command to feed His sheep, The Shepherd’s Staff exists to reach out to those in crisis, to aid those in need, to support those in trouble, to seek out and encourage pathways to self-sufficiency, and to be a witness for Christ in our community.

Our History

    The vision for a cooperative crisis center began in 1989 with the Westminster Ministerium. In 1991, The Shepherd’s Staff opened its doors in a tiny space donated by the Human Services Programs of Carroll County and, in 1992, the organization moved to larger quarters provided by the Westminster United Methodist Church.

    Subsequently, in 1994, Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church offered The Shepherd’s Staff a ten-room house located at 30 Carroll Street in downtown Westminster. Presently, it is from this location that assistance is available to anyone in Carroll County.

    Today, The Shepherd’s Staff operates with a wide range of outreach programs and services. Local churches, organizations, businesses, schools, and individuals support this grassroots ministry with financial contributions, product / service donations, and hundreds of hours of volunteerism.

    The Shepherd’s Staff does not receive funding from federal, state, or county agencies and, therefore, is totally dependent on community generosity and its own fundraising efforts.