OUR HISTORY

•  In February 1950 the men and women of the Presbyterian Church were called by their faith to organize La Iglesia Presbyteriana del Buen Pastor (Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church) in the immigrant neighborhood in West Dallas.
• The church was located on Chihuahua Street . 
• In 1959 the church building was moved to its present location at 4931 Bernal Drive .
• In 1963 the building was replaced by the present facility.
• In 1975 the church was incorporated as Good Shepherd Community Center.
• In 1985 the Center was remodeled to accommodate 80 children from 18 months to 4 years old.
• In 1986 Good Shepherd Community Center became a licensed childcare facility.
• Beginning in 2004 significant improvements have been made to the interior and the exterior of the building as well as to the grounds in order to provide a better, safer and more enjoyable environment for our children.
• The Center receives support from many Presbyterian churches, foundations, corporations, as well as from many individual contributors.  Their support makes it possible for the Center to provide nurturing, quality, affordable childcare to the families of West Dallas .
• In the early years the church began offering a half day preschool.  Through the years many generations of families in West Dallas whose children attended that preschool have continued to bring their children to Good Shepherd Community Center . We appreciate the trust parents place in us to care for their children.  Every day we strive to continue the long Good Shepherd Community Center tradition of being an important part of the West Dallas Community.

Providing Hope & Encouragement

The Good Shepherd child care center was established to assist local families with child care for preschoolers ages 18 months to five years, as well as before and after-school daycare for older children up to the fifth grade. Summer programs provide learning and supervised play activities for these children. Tuition at Good Shepherd is approximately one-half of the average rate of for-profit daycare centers. The goal is to provide a safe, healthy and nurturing environment where children can be better prepared to learn in school and to compete in the world. Pre-reading, writing and math instruction, as well as music and are taught to the pre-schoolers, and supervised play and peer group activities help children learn appropriate behavior. Weekly chapel services give the children an introduction to Bible stories and help them understand God's love for all people. A balanced nutritional program assures that even the poorest of the children are properly fed during the week. All children are eligible for admission without regard to their religion or faith.

Serving Our Community

The Center also functions as a community outreach, providing food and emergency financial assistance, sponsoring an Adopt-a-Family campaign at Christmas, offering English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, providing classes to help local residents apply and qualify for a home mortgage, hosting periodic holiday fairs and carnivals during the year, and sponsoring other programs designed to help families live with dignity and independence.

Dedicated Staff & Team of Volunteers

All of these programs are carried out by a dedicated staff and team of volunteers who recognize God's call to minister to the poor and disadvantaged, and who hope that with the encouragement and help of the Christian community, these families can have more successful, productive lives. Good Shepherd depends on the support of area churches and other charitable organizations and businesses for a substantial portion of its financial support, as well as for volunteers in the classroom, on the playground, in maintaining the building and facilities and in the governance of its business affairs.