In the early months of 2015, the Talbot Interfaith Shelter (TIS) received a call from a woman named Dina who was living in her car with her two young children. She and her husband were having some marital problems. TIS Executive Director Julie Lowe and Operations Manager Fran Doran brought her in for an interview and invited her stay at Easton’s Promise. She had a minimum wage job and her children were in day care.
While at Easton’s Promise, she wanted to work on her marriage so her husband was invited to stay at the shelter facility. He lived with the single men until they could find some common ground. He did all that was asked of him and was eventually able to live together with his family. In November of 2015, the family moved into one of TIS’ transitional apartments. They were both working and had saved enough funding to pay the security deposit and half a months’ rent. As with any family, they still have some problems but work through them. They now pay the full rent, and both kids are in school and doing well.
In August, Dina came to Ms. Doran with tears in her eyes. She said, “You know Ms. Fran, when I first met you I told you that my dream was to be a nurse. Well, I have been accepted to Chesapeake College School of Nursing and on a full scholarship. My orientation is tonight.”
She left smiling and excited. She later told Fran, “The day I walked into that shelter was the worst because I was homeless and you guys were my last hope, and also best day of my life because my life has gotten so much better. I’m nowhere near where I was and I’m finally going to fulfill my dream career. I thank you guys every single chance I get, and I truly love y’all.”
TIS is very proud of Dina’s achievements and all of the hard work she has done to earn this opportunity. She is an incredible woman, wife, and mother, and her success is so well-deserved. Her win is also a win for our community, which has consistently offered time, money, fellowship, and compassion to TIS’ guests. This support is integral to enabling our guests, not only to survive, but to thrive.
Talbot Interfaith Shelter (TIS) is a 501(c)3 organization based in Easton and serving Talbot County and the surrounding areas. The organization has developed a program that they call S4 (Shelter, Stability, Support, Success), which is designed to give guests access to a stable homelike environment, services, and tools that can help them break the cycle of poverty and homelessness and regain their independence. Once guests are accepted into Easton’s Promise, they receive case management as they move through an individualized plan, eventually transitioning into one of the shelter’s eight subsidized off-site apartments, where they incrementally take over expenses until they are fully self-sufficient.
Their vision is that no one in Talbot County will ever have to spend a night on the streets, in a car or in the woods because he or she cannot find housing. To learn more about how you can help, visit www.talbotinterfaithshelter.org or contact Julie Lowe at 410-310-2316 or [email protected].
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