A Community Comes Together: Joey’s Journey to Shepherds College
My introduction to Shepherds College came through Mission Network News, an online subscription service that shares how God is working in different venues. I was intrigued by the comments Shepherds received from churches following visits by their Advancement teams:
- "We intended to minister to them... they ministered to us."
- "Their recitations of the Scriptures brought tears to my eyes."
- "We could see the love of the Lord through the students!"
Not knowing anything about Shepherds, I went to their website and found that they were a ministry with a college for students who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. I was impressed! I called Shepherds and talked with an Admissions Counselor. The information he shared helped me gain confidence in the Shepherds program.
At that time, there was a young man in my home church named Joey Dreyer who exhibited traits of fetal alcohol syndrome. Joey and I had been friends for a number of years, and I always enjoyed his enthusiasm for the interests he had - cars, military figurines, or whatever was currently on his mind.
When Joey was a junior in high school, I suggested to his parents that they pay a visit to Shepherds College. They did, and after the day’s visit, Joey wanted to stay. He stated adamantly, “I don’t want to go home!”
When Joey was in his senior year, I asked Diane, his mother, “What are you thinking of Shepherds?” She replied, “Oh Bill, it’s too expensive for us - we can’t consider that.”
After reflecting on this dilemma for a couple of days, I thought, “Hmmm… thirty people giving $1,000 - we’ll have the tuition.” I asked my wife what she thought, and she agreed this was something we could do. After consulting with Scott Porter, a friend of mine at church, I asked if he could contribute as well. He replied, “Yes, I think Kim and I can do that, and I can also make some contacts. Let’s meet again next week.”
The next meeting was very good news. Scott shared he had pledges totaling $7,000, and he added,“I asked them to commit for three years - that way we don’t need to come back next year.” I also had more commitments and, within three weeks, we had pledges totaling close to $100,000.
I now had the pleasure of calling Joey’s mother. I told her, “Diane, I have good news! We have Joey’s tuition paid for - for all three years!” I don’t think I have ever heard such a scream of joy.
Joey was able to attend Shepherds College from 2011 to 2014, graduating with a certificate of completion in Horticulture.
As in many cases when we see God’s hand at work, there is a “Rest of the Story.” During Joey’s time at Shepherds, his father, Don, had to take early retirement. He was facing rapidly advancing Alzheimer’s and has now been in a long-term facility for several years. In addition, Diane, who has Crohn’s Disease, experienced some serious complications, including several surgeries and hospital stays.
With the Appropriate Independence™ training he received at Shepherds College, Joey has maintained steady employment. He has been a real caretaker, assisting with his mother and helping to care for the family home while she was away.
During a number of visits to the school, I’ve had the opportunity to talk with the staff and witness the students interacting with the faculty. These visits have fully convinced me of the integrity of the Shepherds College program. I have a strong desire to see the school expand in order to reach many others with the programs they offer. Please consider investing in Shepherds College and experience the joy of helping students like Joey.
