The summer sun has given us some scorching hot days this month! Imagine living outside, in a car, or in a structure without air conditioning in that unbearable heat. The prospect is terrifying. Thanks to your gifts of time, talent, treasure, and TLC, this June, 58 of our neighbors had safe, comfortable shelter and access to the guidance, resources, and knowledge they need to achieve sustainable self-sufficiency!

Our June newsletter is bursting at the seams with amazing news that YOU made possible at Talbot Interfaith Shelter!

Letter from the Executive Director - June 2025

In her June letter, TIS Executive Director Julie Lowe looks back on an extraordinary fiscal year at TIS, the challenges our guests face as the embark on the S4 Program, and how YOUR GENEROSITY sustains them as they rebuild their lives.

Click the button below to read Julie's letter!

Read the June Letter

YOU make so much possible for the guests in the

S4 Program!

Please join us in congratulating Colby and Rashaad, who moved into our newest transitional apartment this month! This marks the beginning of a partnership with a brand new local landlord. Our transitional housing partners enable us to provide subsidized housing so our guests have the time and assistance they need to build the sustainable habits that lead to full independence!

Speaking of transitioning, we are so excited for Tiffany and Paige, a mother and daughter in our family shelter, Easton's Promise! Tiffany has worked really hard, and they are now ready to move from the shelter into transitional housing. We will keep you posted when they are in their new home!

While we often share news about the adults in our program, our TIS Kids have exciting things to share, as well. One of the teens at Easton's Promise got a new job as a barista. A teen in our apartments recently started working at Chipotle, and another is looking for a part time job. We are very proud of their industrious spirit! Some of our younger children have summer adventures planned, including camps at Chesapeake College and the Neighborhood Service Center, and school-based programs!

One of the families in our apartments welcomed a brand new baby last week. Thanks to you, they brought their little one into a safe, loving home, where our staff is available to help as needs arise.

The guests at our singles shelter, Evelyn's Place, have also made great progress this month! You may recall from our last newsletter that Kathryn and her case manager DeWayne have been working together to secure her housing through the Main Street Housing program. She recently found out that she is now even closer to being able to move out on her own. We hope to be able to announce some exciting news on her behalf soon! Dale, who had been struggling to find employment, was able to secure two jobs this month, at Giant and Taco Bell. Thanks to his perseverance, Dale has now reached a major milestone on the path to Success!

Life skills classes also continued this month. The guests at Evelyn's Place are in their final week of the TIS Core Values class, created by our case manager DeWayne. This class addresses basic life skills, and gives the guests an opportunity to work through the challenges they face while working through the S4 Program. Our class on poverty, Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin' By World, will finish in July. We often hear from guests that Getting Ahead is the most impactful class they participate in during their time at TIS. Over 16 weeks, guests work together to understand the root causes of poverty, discuss hidden societal rules that can help or hurt one's progress, explore the local resources available to them, and learn how to wean off those resources once they are stable to achieve true self-sufficiency.

We could not be more grateful to you for the support and encouragement you provide to our guests. You are the reason that all of these successes are possible!

What a month for Team TIS! From our volunteers, donors, and cheerleaders to local businesses and faith communities, we are fortunate to have so many wonderful supporters and partners in the fight against homelessness.

Thank You, St. Marks!

We are the grateful recipients of a wonderfully generous donation from St. Mark's United Methodist Church. St. Mark's has been part of TIS from the very beginning, providing volunteers and financial support throughout our history. Special thanks to Frank Gonsallus, who is a vocal ambassador for our mission and helped to coordinate this grant!

TIS at Pride Fest!

Thank you to our fabulous TIS Ambassadors who joined the party for the Delmarva Pride Street Festival! The streets were alive with energy, and we got to see many friends, old and new. Thanks to Delmarva Pride for including us!

Juneteenth!

We were honored to be a part of the Juneteenth celebrations at the Academy Art Museum! There was great music, art, food, and family fun as the community gathered to celebrate this year's theme of, "Our Freedom! Our Story!"

Best of the Best!

Nominations for the APG Best of the Best contest have kicked off, and we hope that while you're shouting out your other favorite local businesses, you'll take a moment to nominate TIS for Best Nonprofit Organization and Lip Sync Battle for Best Event! Nominations run through July 20th, and you can nominate as often as once per day. Thank you so much in advance for your amazing support!

Nominate Best Nonprofit

Nominate Best Event

Around 80 of our amazing volunteers attended our annual Volunteer Luncheon at the VFW in Easton. After lunch, Volunteer Coordinator Jesse Johnson kicked off the festivities by presenting Certificates of Appreciation to three volunteers for their outstanding efforts - Carl Johnson, Bill Wilson, and Peggy Feehly.

Next, Julie provided an update on our ongoing expansion efforts, and talked about the impact that our volunteers make, not only in helping the organization’s operations, but in the way they make the guests feel, and how they inspire them to keep working hard to rebuild their lives.

The afternoon was capped off with a game of BINGO for a hand-crafted cutting board, which was donated by Tuckahoe Hardwood. The winner, Rita Mhley, chose to donate her prize back to the shelter. To determine a new winner, Lowe led an impromptu game to find out who had been volunteering with TIS the longest. It was discovered that Ann Davis and Mary Beth Goll were the longest-serving volunteers in attendance, having been with us since the first night we opened our doors as a rotating cold-weather shelter in January of 2009.

Julie ended the event with another rousing thank you, and the volunteers each took home a sweet reminder of the importance they hold for TIS – a package of forget-me-not seeds with the message, “Thank you for helping us grow.”

Watch the video below to meet some of the extraordinary members of Team TIS!

We Need Your Help!

If you are looking for ways to help Talbot Interfaith Shelter, we have lots of opportunities available! We are currently seeking:

Volunteer teams for shelter supervision one day per month

Floating "on call" shelter supervision volunteers

Dinner volunteers

Volunteers to help at local community events, farmers markets, etc.

If you are interested in learning more about these and other TIS volunteer opportunities, contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Jesse Johnson at 410-690-3120 or jessejohnson@talbotinterfaithshelter.org or click the button below to complete our volunteer interest form.

Thank you in advance for lending TIS your time and talents to help change our neighbors' lives for the better!!

Volunteer Interest Form

The end of this fiscal year marks another milestone for our organization. Peter Woicke is stepping down as our Board Chair. Peter began as an overnight volunteer when we were a rotating cold weather shelter. He was instrumental in the opening of our first permanent shelter at Easton's Promise. Peter has served on the TIS board for 7 years, and has been the Chair for an incredible 6 years, guiding us through a period of rapid expansion with great vision and strength. We are beyond grateful to Peter for everything he has done for TIS, and his unrelenting passion for helping our neighbors in need. Fortunately, he will be remaining on the board, and we will still have the benefit of his wisdom and experience!

Please join us in thanking Peter for his many years of leadership and his unwavering commitment to our mission. Talbot Interfaith Shelter would not be where it is today without him!

We look forward to introducing you to the wonderful Larry Neviaser next month. Larry will be taking over as our Board Chair, and we are very excited for what the future holds for TIS and those we serve!

Our 2024-2025 Fiscal Year Is Coming To A Close

While the calendar year ends in December, at TIS, our fiscal year runs from July 1st through June 30th. This is the time frame we use when making financial plans each year, whether calculating our annual operating budget or anticipating additional upcoming expenses, including maintenance or expansion projects.

This year, your generosity enabled us to help 82 of our neighbors avoid homelessness and work to reclaim their independence. Guests accessed important local services, secured jobs, and saved money.

For those who need extra time after their shelter stays, you made it possible for us to expand our subsidized transitional housing program with 2 new partners so that we now have 18 apartments where our guests can work more gradually towards taking over all of their expenses. With the housing crisis worsening, many of our guests cannot afford to move out at the current market rate. With your support, we are exploring how we can provide affordable long-term housing for those guests.

We had two guests graduate from transitional housing this year, and several more who were able to move directly from the shelters into their own housing! Still, there are many guests who do not achieve full Success in our program. S4 (Shelter, Stability, Support, Success) requires a long-term commitment and a determination to succeed. With a population of people who are coming from trauma, many have difficulty fulfilling the ongoing requirements to stay in the program. However, that does not mean your support isn't impacting their lives. Safe shelter, connection with services, and life skills training leaves the majority of our guests in a vastly better position when they leave our program. We often hear from previous guests that their case management and life skills training clicked for them sometime after leaving TIS, and they have been able to make forward progress in overcoming poverty.

Your robust financial support over this past year allowed us to fully pay for our largest operating budget to date, and even provided some additional funds, which help buffer against future economic downturns or rising operating costs. As we look ahead to the next year in our TIS-story, our continued growth and the continued increase in the cost of goods and services translate to more budgetary growth. We are also evaluating the many ways in which we might use our new Vine Street property to continue expanding to meet the increased demand for our services.

We truly cannot than you enough. You continue to pour your hearts into our mission, giving so many of our neighbors an opportunity to rebuild their lives. We are saddened for the reasons that we must continue growing, but heartened by the way that this phenomenal community embraces our guests and supports our efforts to help as many local families and individuals as possible to overcome homelessness. You are our guests' heroes, and you are also our heroes!

We have been waiting for some time to share this exciting news with you, and the time has finally come! Talbot Interfaith Shelter is the subject of a short, animated documentary called "Shelter," created by Dutch-Irish artist Anita Groener and American documentary film maker Matt Kresling. The film tells personal stories of individuals facing hardship as they navigate systemic challenges and strive to rebuild their lives. Through these narratives, Shelter reveals the strength of human resilience and the power of compassionate, community-based solutions.

Along with the premier of "Shelter," Anita's latest exhibition "To the Edge of the World" will open at the Academy Art Museum in Easton on August 16th.

This just in! During the writing of this newsletter, we were informed that "Shelter" was also officially accepted into the Chesapeake Film Festival, which will take place in Easton from October 10th through 12th!

Several of our staff and board members had the honor of previewing the film recently, and it is absolutely stunning. We are so humbled to have been chosen for this important project, and will keep you posted as more information about "Shelter" is available. In the meantime, you can watch the preview below!

Join Team TIS at these upcoming community events!

Brunch and Couture

Tickets remain for Brunch and Couture, the wonderful upcoming event hosted by Dover Station in support of our mission! This fun afternoon takes place on July 20th at Dover Station. Enjoy light bites and brunch cocktails, watch a fashion show curated by Marc Randall, and explore the permanent jewelry exhibit and shoppe. Seating is limited, so make sure to click the button below to reserve your spot TODAY!

Easton Farmers Market

Visit the Team TIS booth at the Easton Farmer's Market on July 12th! While you're shopping at all of the wonderful vendors, stop by to say hello and grab a free cup of coffee, courtesy of our friends at Rise Up!

The Promise Keepers are those donors at every giving level who establish recurring monthly or quarterly donations in support of Talbot Interfaith Shelter.

Why Does Monthly Giving Matter?

Monthly giving is a benefit to you, and to TIS. Some donors find that spreading their donation out over the course of the year helps make budgeting for their generosity much easier. Your monthly contributions greatly help TIS, as they give us the ability to plan ahead, ensuring that essential services are always available for those who need them. Knowing we have reliable funding allows us to focus on long-term solutions rather than short-term fixes.

Become a TIS Promise Keeper Today!

I Want To Become a Promise Keeper!

Other Ways to Give

What are the benefits of donating your vehicle to TIS?

Vehicle donations are tax deductible; you could reduce your taxable income.
Donating is easy and pick-up is free.
Donating eliminates the costs and hassles associated with keeping or selling a car, like paying for advertising, registration, insurance, or car repairs.
You can free up space at home and/or stop paying for extra parking.
Donating to a nonprofit feels good and makes a difference in your community!

Start a Vehicle Donation

We would be so grateful for your help stocking up on the following items:

PRIORITY NEEDS

Bath Towels

Paper Towels

Toilet Paper

ADDITIONAL CURRENT NEEDS

Air Fresheners

Antibacterial Hand Soap

Bleach

DampRid

Formula 409 Spray

Tissues

Toilet Cleaner

Trash Bags (Lawn Size)

These and other items can be found on our Amazon Wish List by clicking the button below. Please include your name on the Amazon order so that we can thank you for your generosity!

Donations can be dropped off or shipped to the address below:

Talbot Interfaith Shelter

107 Goldsborough Street

Easton, MD 21601

Thank you SO MUCH for helping us to provide our guests with basic essentials!

Amazon Wish List

Follow our Facebook page or check the donate page on our website for weekly updates on our most pressing needs each Wednesday.

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