About

A New Vision of

Life After Retirement

The mission of The Shepherd’s Center of Orange Park is inspire dynamic living among older adults through volunteerism, education, and community connections.

SCOOP offers two major opportunities for Clay County older adults:  quarterly Adventures in Learning (AIL) classes and our annual Golden Years Gala.

Monthly, SCOOP plans an event outside of our AIL program. These range from seeing a local production to visiting local museums – it’s something new every month.

AIL provides learning and social opportunities through a myriad of classes presented by volunteer instructors and speakers in four eight-week sessions per year.

We also honor Clay County seniors who exemplify integrity, commitment, generosity and a strong work ethic by giving their time and talents in many areas of service to our community through our annual Golden Years Gala. For more information about the event, nominations, and sponsorship opportunities, check our Gala page.

Our weekly classes and special events are year-round by season in Orange Park and Fleming Island, Florida. Classes are Mondays, Tuesday (Bridge), and Thursdays. We also have limited classes available online through Zoom. Please see our activities pages for our current offerings!

We invite you to come and try our activities, meet our group, and experience the fun of being part of something truly special.

The Shepherd’s Center is a non-denominational, non-political organization. All are welcome. We hope to see you soon!

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The Shepherd Center's Beginnings

Our History

In January 1992, Park Gerdine, representing The Life Center, The Shepherd’s Center in Jacksonville, met with the Orange Park Ministerial Alliance. A series of meetings at various churches in the area ensued, explaining a new vision of life after retirement. A cadre of dedicated, hardworking volunteers formed a task force which brought to fruition the dream of a Shepherd’s Center in Clay County. Incorporating trustees were Rena Adsit, Keith Clark and Park Gerdine. The growth over the past 30 years has been amazing, and we’re honored to be able to continue their mission.

35

Average Number of Quarterly Classes

600

Registered Members

30

Years of Service

25

Annual Community Sponsors

See Our Current Class Schedule