About Us

St. John of God

The pious man was born in Portugal around 1492 and died on March 8, 1550. He lived in Spain from an early age, was a shepherd and a soldier, and sold books in Granada, Spain. He suffered a breakdown and experienced a conversion of heart to realize that all that is good is from his God; from this experience, he dedicated his life to the service of the poor and unwanted in the streets of Granada.  

He attracted many people to volunteer with this new ministry who also believed in the restoration of dignity of each person.  He was the impetus of the Hospitaller Brothers of St. John of God, a Catholic religious Order of Men dedicating their lives to the poor and unwanted in cities around the world, of which Good Shepherd Center is one of the many ministries.

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Hospitaller Brothers of St. John of God

The Bursting Pomegranate 

Saint John of God's home town was Granada, Spain, whose name translates to pomegranate and is often seen as a symbol of eternal life. To the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God, under whom Good Shepherd Center operates, the combined symbols of the pomegranate and the cross represent “charity and sacrifice.” The bursting fruit expresses the need for love to expand, and the cross reminds us that there can be no charity without sacrifice.

Meet the Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors is a dedicated group of volunteers who meet quarterly to conduct the administrative business of the Good Shepherd Center.  Officer positions are held for one year.  Annual elections for office are held every November.

Good Shepherd Center 
Official Figures for Calendar Year 2018

Meal figures are calculated from data provided by Gerald Martinez. Distributed items data provided by Mayra Martinez. Bed nights, medical patient data, and program figures are calculated from our client stay database. Compiled 7 Jan 2019 by Robert Tapscott. 

• 164,217 full meals served.

• 29,564 bed nights provided for 1,438 unduplicated clients.

• 2,262 bed nights (included above) for 229 different medical respite bed admissions for 182 unduplicated clients. (Some clients on respite beds were admitted more than once.)

• 158 unduplicated clients in Substance Abuse Recovery Program. This does not include Phase 1 clients (those entering a one-week trial period) who do not go into the full program.

• 17,000 items distributed to 3,435 people, many of whom had multiple visits and are, therefore, duplicated. "Items" are primarily clothing but also include some toiletry kits, bags, blankets, etc.

Let's Talk

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