BELLEAIR BLUFFS — When Phyllis Alderman was offered a building in downtown Clearwater to help shelter the homeless in October 1991, the divorced mother had a different idea.
“Would you consider single moms homeless?” she asked the real estate agent who made the offer.
The answer was yes. Thirty-five years later, the mission Alderman started that day is still going strong. On Oct. 25, she was honored at Shepherd’s Village’s 35th Founder’s Day celebration.
Today, Shepherd’s Village is a 12-unit nonprofit community at 3025 Los Altos Drive in Belleair Bluffs, with a board of directors, a virtual university and a nearby thrift shop. It offers single mothers more than a place to live. It also provides support, and the strength that comes from being around others in the same situation.
“It’s pretty neat to see,” Alderman said as she toured an apartment turned into a walk-through timeline of photos and mementos from the organization’s history.
Among the items was $60 in Monopoly money, representing the cash Alderman had in the bank when the organization moved to its Belleair Bluffs property in 2000. She said that $60 “miraculously” became a down payment after she prayed and then received three unsolicited offers for the Clearwater building.
“We had received a miracle, and we had an obligation to make it grow,” she said. “When you’re in the midst of it, you don’t see everything. But when you put the history and the vision together, you get miracles like this.”
She credited the people who have carried that vision forward.
“I’m so thankful we’ve got a God-given staff that has the vision to honor the mission of Shepherd’s Village,” she said.
Among them is Executive Director April McKnight, who still remembers the day she arrived at Shepherd’s Village in 2014 with her three young daughters.
“Shepherd’s Village is for motivated single moms wanting to change things in their life,” McKnight said.
Applicants are thoroughly vetted, including background checks. They must be working and willing to take part in the organization’s health and wellness programs.
“They’re allowed to stay up to two years, and then we help them transition to the next phase of their life,” McKnight said. “We work with everyone to give them the tools to be self-sustaining and successful.”
Alderman described Shepherd’s Village as a faith-based ministry that prohibits smoking, drinking and drug use.
“It’s not a shelter,” she said. “This is a no-judgment zone that’s about choosing your future and knowing you are not alone.”
For the safety of everyone living there, Shepherd’s Village does not accept women who are in active domestic violence situations, McKnight said. Instead, it works with other organizations to get them help.
She was asked about the recent case of a Safety Harbor woman who authorities say was killed by her boyfriend in front of her child.
“We can’t give them residences,” McKnight said. “But we are open to helping these women by partnering with local crisis organizations such as CASA.”
CASA, or Community Action Stops Abuse, is a domestic violence services agency based in St. Petersburg.
“In those cases, Shepherd’s Village is that bridge to help connect women with other organizations that can help,” McKnight said.
Alderman said the beauty of Shepherd’s Village is that “there’s a story behind every door.”
“And now the miracle I’m seeing is, the children who lived here have become adults and have returned and honored their mothers by making contributions,” she said. “It’s always amazing to hear, because Shepherd’s Village is all about changed lives.”
Longtime Belleair Bluffs City Commissioner Suzy Sofer, who watched Alderman’s tour, said the organization has become part of the city’s identity.
“I think this day is important because you can’t think of Belleair Bluffs without thinking of Shepherd’s Village and what a great asset it is to our community,” Sofer said. “They make sure the moms set a good example for the children, and I think that’s very important.”
McKnight agreed.
“If the moms are healthy, the kids are going to be, too,” she said. “It helps break the cycle and keep hope alive.”
The organization’s Shabby to Chic thrift boutique in nearby Antique Alley opened in 2011 to support the mission.
“Everything is donated,” McKnight said.
The shop brought in $120,000 in furniture and clothing sales last year, she said. That money helps fund the organization’s scholarship program, which has awarded more than $85,000 over the years.
Before she finished her tour, Alderman said she has always believed failure is not an option.
“In businesses, people say, ‘What’s the success rate?’” she said. “And here we say it’s 100%. Because God’s not done.”
For more information, visit shepherdsvillage.com.