The Morgan Shepherd Charitable Fund began in 1986 as a program to assist the needy and handicapped in the Virginia Mountains. Morgan Shepherd and Ken Lanter began the program by putting a new roof on Billy Shough’s house, a resident of Fries, Virginia. The program has continued to grow over the last 20 years thanks to the generous contributions from the supporters of the Charity.

The Charity raises funds to support the PARC Workshop, a private non-profit organization that provides handicapped adults job & daily living skills. “We do not receive government grants so we really rely on the donation from the Charity to help up grade our facility and enhance our programs so we can continue to be self sufficient,” says Henry Ayers, Executive Director of the Parc Workshop. “The Charity donated a modular home to help us to teach daily independent living skills. We call it the Shepherd Center to honor Morgan for his dedication to us,” explained Ayers.

In 1997 the Morgan Shepherd Charitable Fund was granted federally certified, non-profit charity status and has now expanded to a full year program, which focuses on the need of the impoverished and handicapped.

Each year in December, the Morgan Shepherd Charitable Fund hosts a very special trip to the Virginia Mountains to share the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, with the less fortunate. On this trip, gift bags, which contain donated items like shirts, jogging suits, caps, socks, gloves, soaps, lotions, are given to the Parc Workshop, Southwestern Training Center for severely handicapped adults and low income families. “For some of these people, it is the only Christmas they will receive” shared Cindy Shepherd, Morgan’s wife. This Christmas Charity Trip has become a holiday tradition for Morgan Shepherd, his family, and friends. Joining Morgan on his Charity Trip in recent years have been NASCAR friends Ned Jarrett, Dale Jarrett, Jason Jarrett, Ricky Rudd, Kyle Petty, Ken Schrader, Jeff Green, Dennis Setzer, Mark Garrow, Rick Houston, and as well as country-western singer, Mark Collie, and comic impersonator, David Browning. The itinerary for the trip includes a stop at the Wood’s Brothers Race shop, Parc Workshop in Stuart, Va., and the Rex Theater in Galax, Va.

The Morgan Shepherd Charitable Fund tries to fill 1,200 gift bags each year for the Charity trip, if you are interested in donating new items for the Charity or sending a monetary donation, please contact us:



Phone: 828-256-2194

Mail: P.O. Box 623, Conover, NC 28613

Donated items for gift bags can be shipped to:

4905 Jeffrey Lane, Conover, NC 28613.