Glenn Finds a Home and More Inside!! 💜 💙 💛

TIS November Newsletter

Read on to find out what YOU made possible at Talbot Interfaith Shelter this month!

Donate Now

Thanks to YOU, we served 54 people this month, including:

12 Single Individuals

13 Families

23 Children

Guests ranged in age from 8 months to 67 years old

During this season of gratitude, we want to thank you for your extraordinary partnership in the fight against homelessness in our community. Because of you, our neighbors have a home, a support system, and guidance as they navigate through their journey to Success!

Read on to see what you made possible this month:

We have recently seen an influx of elderly guests in need of shelter and services. This is the fastest growing segment of the homeless population in the United States due in large part to the increase in the cost of housing and basic necessities. Older men and women tend to have fixed incomes, which do not generally keep up with inflation. We are now seeing the dire consequences of this discrepancy.

Glenn is one of the elderly guests who has been staying with us at Evelyn's Place. He worked hard in the S4 program, and was a wonderful, positive influence on the other guests at the shelter.

This month, Glenn's sister invited him to move down to Florida to live with her. We are so thrilled that Glenn has reunited with his family, and has a new home. When asked about his experience with TIS, Glenn shared, “I just want to thank TIS for making me feel welcome, for listening to what I have to say, for understanding, for giving me comfort.” Please join us in sending well wishes to Glenn and his sister for a fresh, Successful new beginning!

Please also help us congratulate Josh, who moved on from his job at Harris Teeter to begin working with our amazing business partners at Eastern Shore Ship Print Connect. Josh credits his job readiness training at TIS for helping change his perception of what it means to be a good employee. He takes great pride in his work, and we know he will be a wonderful addition to the Ship Print Connect family!

As we head into the holiday season, life skills classes at our family shelter, Easton's Promise, have wrapped up for the year.

Our singles shelter, Evelyn's Place, is closing out 2023 with The Six Pillars of Character for Adults. During this class, they are learning about the Six Pillars of Character - trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship - and how to incorporate pillar-related actions into their daily lives.

We are very proud of the guests who participated in life skills training this year. They are now armed with lifelong knowledge and tools that will help them thrive once they leave the S4 Program.

All of this is made possible by your generous support. We are so grateful for everything you do to help our guests get back on their feet and stay there!

Not Everyone Achieves Success

The S4 Program (Shelter, Stability, Support, Success) is not for everyone. It is a long-term program that requires dedication, fortitude, and a commitment to personal responsibility. We maintain strict rules in our shelters and apartments to ensure safety and consistency for all of our guests. To remain in the program, guests must demonstrate that they are making an effort to progress forward.

There are many reasons why someone may not stay in the S4 Program:

Some choose to leave of their own volition. They may not like the rules, or they may only need temporary housing while they wait for another opportunity to open up.

Some will be asked to leave. This might be because they break a non-negotiable rule such as breaking curfew or bringing drugs or alcohol into a facility (a very rare occurrence). Some might consistently break smaller rules or create a negative environment for other guests without improving their behavior after intervention. Others may stop working on their plan and not restart even after multiple prompts from their case manager and TIS leadership.

Some guests do extremely well in the shelters - when staff and other guests are available to support them every day - but when they move into transitional housing, the prospect of having to make many decisions on their own can become very overwhelming. All of our guests have trauma-based mental health challenges, and some are in recovery from substance abuse. If their mental health declines significantly, or if they slide back into addiction, we cannot provide the intensive assistance they require, and they will have to leave our program to go somewhere they can receive proper care.

Another factor preventing guests from graduating fully from the S4 Program is the lack of affordable housing in our community. Guests who have met all the requirements of the program may have to stay in transitional housing indefinitely because they simply cannot find a place to move into that fits within their budget.

Regardless of how long a guest stays with Talbot Interfaith Shelter, because of YOU, they are given a safe place to stay, a sense of community, a restoration of dignity and self-confidence, and life skills training that we hope will serve them throughout their lives. Even when guests do not achieve Success, you are still making an indelible impact on their lives!

While not everyone achieves Success in the S4 Program, many do, and Angie is a prime example of an extraordinary TIS Success Story. Be on the lookout in your mailbox for Angie's story, accompanied by a beautiful letter from TIS Board Member, Nancy Sajda, about why she will be giving a year-end gift in support of our mission.

Angie was kind enough to sit down for a video interview with us, and we will be sharing her story via email and social media throughout the month of December.

If you don't want to wait, click the button below to watch Angie's Story and learn about how your support completely transformed her family's life.

If you have not done so already, we hope you will consider making a year-end donation to TIS. We need your help now more than ever so that, together, we may continue the vital work of lifting our neighbors out of homelessness. Thanks to two generous TIS supporters, your donation will be matched until we reach $60,000!

We are so grateful for your support. We cannot fulfill our mission without YOU!

Watch Angie's Story & Donate

Spotlight on Team TIS!

Thank you to the incredible people who provided Thanksgiving dinners for the guests in our shelter homes and meal kits for the guests in transitional housing. We cannot properly express to you what gestures like these mean to our guests. Knowing that their community cares truly lifts their spirits and makes the holiday season extra special for them. Special thanks to the Kappa Theta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Miles River Yacht Club, and The Asbury United Methodist Church!

To become a TIS Volunteer, contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Nancy Cummings, at 410-690-3120 or nancycummings@talbotinterfaithshelter.org.

Click the button below to meet more Team TIS members!

Who Is TIS?

Thank you to our Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month Partners!

When you are out and about this holiday season, please consider stopping in to thank the following amazing businesses for supporting Talbot Interfaith Shelter this month for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month. We are so grateful to have their partnership!

If you are able to help us stock up on any of the following, we would be so grateful:

Diapers (right now, size 6, 7 and pull-ups are most needed)
Baby Wipes
Laundry detergent - hypo-allergenic (the sheets are great…less plastic, lightweight and zero chance of spilling!)
Dryer sheets (hypo-allergenic/scent-free)
Toilet paper
Paper towels (selectable size preferred)
Automatic dishwasher detergent
Hand dishwashing detergent
Individual bottled water

Food storage items (foil, plastic wrap, Ziploc bags)
Creamer (powdered or liquid)
Sugar
Antiseptic wipes (for both counters and hands)
Low-scent tile floor cleaner
Murphy’s Oil (or other hardwood floor cleaner)
Endust/Pledge (or similar dusting aid)
Clorox Cleaning Spray
Towels and washcloths
Trash bags (both kitchen - 13 gal. and larger)

These and other items can be found on our Amazon Wish List by clicking the button below. Donations can be dropped off or shipped to 107 Goldsborough Street in Easton (21601)

Thank you SO MUCH for helping us make sure our guests have everything they need!

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.

Facebook Page

Donate Page

Mark your calendars! Anthony's Ristorante Italiano in Oxford (26342 Oxford Rd) is hosting Monday Mangia to benefit TIS on Monday, Januray 8th. This unique event includes a delicious Italian buffet featuring Caesar Salad, Penne Vodka, Eggplant Parmigiana, Chicken Cacciatore, Lasagna, Tiramisu, and Cannolis.

There will also be a silent auction with unique items available for bid.

Tickets for this exciting community event are only $50 in advance or $60 at the door. Click the button below to learn more and purchase your advance tickets!

Monday Mangia!