Our History

Our name sake Rev. Aaron McNeil, pioneer, churchman, educator, and community leader, came to Hopkinsville Kentucky in 1896 as the first black Episcopal priest in this community and first rector of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepard.  The building for the church of the Good Shepard, at 604 East Second Street, was constructed in 1896 with funds raised by Nat Gaither, president of the Bank of Hopkinsville and Hunter Wood Sr., publisher of the Kentucky New Era. From the beginning the Church was truly a community Center .  The Center was incorporated in 1971.  In 1983 the Aaron McNeil House was designated a Kentucky Landmark.  Originally Crisis Relief Services and the Aaron McNeil House had been operating as two separate United Way Agencies until the end of 1991.  Their merger came about during United Way's annual programs review process.  Effective January 1, 1992, the boards of Aaron McNeil and Crisis Relief merged.