On Wednesday, June 11th, Talbot Interfaith Shelter (TIS) welcomed its volunteers to the Easton VFW for a luncheon in their honor. Demonstrating TIS’s diverse support from the local community, attendees were new and long-standing, a wide range of ages, and hailing from numerous faith communities, businesses, and organizations.
As volunteers enjoyed their lunch, they were treated to a slideshow, which featured many of their cohorts and expressed the shelter’s overwhelming gratitude for those who give of their time to help its operations run smoothy. After the meal, TIS’ Volunteer Coordinator Jesse Johnson kicked off the festivities by sharing a heartfelt thank you and presenting Certificates of Appreciation to three volunteers for their outstanding efforts.
The first honoree was Carl Johnson. Carl joined “Team TIS” in December of 2024, and has already donated 80 hours of his time to the organization, making an incredible impact as a new member of the volunteer community. Next, Johnson paid tribute to Bill Wilson, for his steadfast dedication and generosity. Bill often steps in at the last minute when needed, and has made a true commitment to TIS and his neighbors who are working to overcome homelessness. The third awardee was Peggy Feehley, a member of the Presbyterian Church of Easton, who has been volunteering with TIS since its inception. Peggy has been lovingly preparing home cooked meals for shelter guests for 16 years.
After recognizing these special members of “Team TIS,” Johnson handed the stage over to Executive Director Julie Lowe. Lowe provided an update on the shelter’s ongoing expansion efforts, and shared information about the impact that the 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 by a game of BINGO, the winner of which was to receive a hand-crafted cutting board, which was generously donated to 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 in attendance had been volunteering with TIS the longest. At the end of the game, it was discovered that Ann Davis and Mary Beth Goll were the longest-serving volunteers, having been with the organization since the first night it opened its doors as a rotating cold-weather shelter in January of 2009. After a quick round of trivia, Ann Davis was the victor and took home the beautiful cutting board.
Lowe 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.”
Talbot Interfaith Shelter is dedicated to fighting homelessness on Maryland’s Mid-Shore by providing Shelter, Stability, Support, and a path to Success for local families and individuals in need. TIS’ innovative and comprehensive S4 Program (Shelter, Stability, Support, Success) is designed to guide guests step-by-step from homelessness to self-sufficiency. This is done by providing safe shelter, rigorous case management, connection with service providers, and life skills training. TIS also has 18 off-site transitional apartments, where those guests who need more time to reach full independence can continue to receive case management and attend life skills classes while incrementally working towards achieving Success.
Learn more about Talbot Interfaith Shelter and how you can help at talbotinterfaithshelter.org or by contacting Julie Lowe at julielowe@talbotinterfaithshelter.org.
