Talbot Interfaith Shelter

Shelter Guests Thank TIS Supporters for COVID Kindness

June 18, 2020 by Talbot Interfaith Shelter

Imagine having spent months or even years working your way back from homelessness, and coming within arm’s reach of self-sufficiency, only to have an unpredictable and uncontrollable event threaten everything you have fought so hard to achieve. For many of the guests in Talbot Interfaith Shelter’s (TIS) S4 Program – Shelter, Stability, Support, Success -the COVID-19 crisis could have been a severe setback in their quest for financial independence. Instead, their usual curriculum of classes in health, parenting, nutritional cooking, and poverty was supplemented with an equally important lesson in kindness, compassion, and community spirit.

Throughout the crisis, TIS has been pleasantly overwhelmed by support from the community. Hill’s Café and Juice Bar provided weekly grocery boxes for the guests in their apartments. Snifter’s Craft Beer and Wine Bistro prepared many meals for the families in our transitional housing and the guests at their shelter facility at Easton’s Promise. Eat Sprout made frequent visits to drop off snacks and meals for shelter guests and staff members. The University of Maryland Extension Program dropped off weekly meal kits with ingredients and recipes so that guests could continue to learn about nutritional cooking while self-isolating. They also planted the raised beds in the backyard at Easton’s Promise – TIS’ shelter facility – with fresh vegetables for guests to enjoy.

Shelter supporters donated handmade reusable face masks and made sure that the shelter and apartments were always stocked with hard-to-come-by essentials like toilet paper and cleaning supplies. Others created a meal fund so that the shelter could purchase food from local restaurants if needed. These are but a handful of the myriad acts of generosity TIS has experienced over the past few months.

Some of TIS’ guests have written letters to thank the shelter’s donors, volunteers, and business partners for easing their anxiety and ensuring they had everything they needed.

“Covid 19 has been a very scary and stressful time in our lives, but having TIS as part of our daily resource, we have been able to stay safe and healthy,” said one mother. “With the help of TIS and the local restaurants my 2 children and I have had full bellies, and big smiles every night! We are so grateful for Talbot Interfaith Shelter and their staff/volunteers!!!! You truly take care of your own community!”

Another parent thanked shelter supporters for making it possible for the prolonged time with her family during the stay home order to be quality time. “With the current pandemic affecting everyone and everything I believe the scariest part for me is knowing that my 2 1/2 year old son could contract COVID from something as simple as a run for milk or a forgotten ingredient for dinner.” She continued, “Receiving food made it possible to spend more time with my family and less time in the kitchen. An absolute help and huge relief… To all the organizations helping us during this pandemic, thank you and God bless you all. You show me that even when times are hard there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Executive Director Julie Lowe also thanked the community for embracing Talbot Interfaith Shelter in a time of need. She said, “We have been humbled by Talbot County’s response to the COVID crisis. Even while working hard to preserve their own health and livelihoods, our neighbors went out of their way to take care of others, not just at TIS, but throughout our community. We are blessed to be surrounded by such extraordinary people.”

However, Lowe cautioned, “We believe that Talbot Interfaith Shelter’s response to COVID may just be in its early stages. As things have opened up, we have already begun to see a big uptick in calls for shelter, even before the moratorium on evictions is lifted. We anticipate that there will be many more in need of our services before the end of the year and are exploring ways in which we can expand our capacity to help as many people as possible to overcome this unprecedented challenge. We know that whichever direction we choose, our incredible community will stand behind TIS and our neighbors to make sure they have everything they need to get back on their feet.”

Talbot Interfaith Shelter (TIS) is dedicated to ending homelessness on Maryland’s Mid-Shore by providing Shelter, Stability, Support, and a path to Success for families and individuals in need. These are the tenets of TIS’ S4 Program, a long term, comprehensive program which is designed to guide guests from homelessness to self-sufficiency. Guests start out at TIS’ shelter facility, located at a former bed and breakfast called Easton’s Promise. There, they receive case management, are connected with necessary services, and participate in educational programming including health, parenting, and nutritional cooking classes, among others. Once they have reached a certain level of financial stability, guests are invited to move into one of TIS’ ten off-site transitional apartments. There, they begin by paying approximately $250 per month to start, while TIS subsidizes the remainder. Over time, their portion increases, until they are able to take over the full rent and reach financial independence.

To learn more about Talbot Interfaith Shelter’s S4 Program and how you can help, visit talbotinterfaithshelter.org or contact Executive Director Julie Lowe at 410-310-2316.

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Fighting Homelessness (and Uncertainty) Through the Power of Joy

March 19, 2020 by Talbot Interfaith Shelter

Talbot Interfaith Shelter’s Lip Sync Battle on April 18^thwas set to be quite a spectacle. In its fourth year, the Lip Sync Battle is an evening of great joy and togetherness that is shared by people from all across the community. Due to concerns over COVID-19, TIS decided to cancel their live show on April 18^th. However, that doesn’t mean the “battle” is off… in fact, TIS is moving full steam ahead, just in a slightly different direction.

Recognizing that things are uncertain, and that if there was ever a time when the community needed a little extra happiness, it is now, the shelter opted not to postpone the live event, but instead convert the Lip Sync Battle to an online-only competition.

Event organizer and TIS Marketing and Development Director Jayme Dingler had this to say about the change: “Admittedly, we were disappointed to have to cancel our live event, which, in addition to being our biggest annual fundraiser, also just means a lot to our participants and to the community as a whole. But that disappointment was short-lived, as we realized we had an opportunity to make a greater difference. Our mission is to lift up our neighbors in need. Right now, all of our neighbors are in need, and this is something we can do to lift them up.”

Dingler says the new goal of Lip Sync Battle 2020 is to spread some happiness and comic relief by encouraging whoever is so inclined to create a lip sync video and share it, whether they decide to raise funds in support of the shelter’s mission or not.

She says, “We know that there will be a lot of people at home, looking for ways to fight boredom and entertain their families. We want to give them something fun to do with one another, but we thought it would be equally important for people to know that they will be entertaining others, spreading laughter and joy to their neighbors and friends, and hopefully helping people to see that, although we might not be able to be with one another, we are still there for one another.”

Those who have purchased tickets to the live show have the option of receiving a refund for their purchase, or converting their ticket purchase to a donation to benefit TIS, which can be attributed to the Lip Sync team of their choice. Ticket holder should reach out to 443-786-4676 or jaymedingler@talbotinterfaithshelter.org to let TIS know what to do with their purchase.

For those who choose to “compete” by raising funds, TIS will stream live on Facebook on May 1^st to announce the winner – the team who raised the most money in support of its mission.

To participate by raising funds for Talbot Interfaith Shelter, contact Jayme Dingler at 443-786-4676 or jaymedingler@talbotinterfaithshelter.org to find out how to get started. To simply make a video to be shared with the community, either upload it to YouTube or Vimeo and send the link to jaymedingler@talbotinterfaithshelter.org, or upload it to Facebook and tag Talbot Interfaith Shelter, Inc and/or use the hashtag #TISLipSync2020.

To learn more about Lip Sync Battle 2020, watch the videos, play Lip Sync Roulette, or to vote by making a donation to TIS, visit talbotinterfaithshelter.org/lip-sync-battle/.

Once they have reached a certain level of financial stability, guests are invited to move into one of TIS’ ten off-site transitional apartments. There, they begin by paying approximately $250 per month to start, while TIS subsidizes the remainder. Over time, their portion increases, until they are able to take over the full rent and reach financial independence. To learn more about Talbot Interfaith Shelter and the S4 Program, visit talbotinterfaithshelter.org or contact Executive Director Julie Lowe at 410-310-2316.

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TIS’ Benjamin Honored on Eve of Major Shelter Milestone

December 7, 2019 by Talbot Interfaith Shelter

Gail Benjamin and Delegate Johnny Mautz

On November 22^nd, members of the nonprofit community gathered in the Gold Ballroom at the Tidewater Inn for their annual Mid-Shore Community Foundation (MSCF) Awards Breakfast. Among the honorees was Gail Benjamin, who received a Special Recognition Award for her work with Talbot Interfaith Shelter (TIS). In addition to her award, she also received two citations from the State of Maryland, presented by Delegate Johnny Mautz and Senator Addie Eckhardt.

Benjamin has been with TIS since its inception, having attended the very first meeting of concerned citizens in 2008. Along with members of other faith communities, she reached out to her congregation at Temple B’nai Israel and they became one of the first hosts of TIS’ rotating cold-weather shelter, which opened in January of 2009. Among her many accomplishments, she has served on the shelter’s board, was head of the Volunteer Committee, and finished a term as Board President in June of 2019.

In his remarks while presenting the Special Recognition Award, MSCF’s Buck Duncan described Gail’s involvement with the shelter, saying, “She’s given her time, she’s given her talent, she’s given her compassion, and she’s acted as a champion for Talbot Interfaith Shelter’s vision. She’s helped it grow, she’s helped it stabilize – she’s helped it be a very important part of our community.”

Benjamin’s reaction to the award is true to her humble nature. “Many volunteers have worked, and continue to work, countless hours to get TIS from our winters in congregational buildings to our present beautiful home at 107 Goldsborough, and our transitional housing program, and our support system,” she says. “I feel that this award is for all of us.”

She has been part of every phase of the shelter’s evolution, which makes it all the more fitting that she received this honor just before TIS celebrated an important milestone – the fifth anniversary of the opening of its permanent shelter facility at former bed and breakfast Easton’s Promise in 2014.

Since opening its doors at Easton’s Promise, TIS has grown from its roots as a seasonal temporary shelter, and has developed a long-term, comprehensive program designed to guide guests from homelessness to self-sufficiency. The organization can now serve up to 40 people at a time, versus 5 people in their rotating cold-weather shelter.

Primarily serving families with children, the S4 Program (Shelter, Stability, Support, Success) incorporates case management, educational opportunities, and a community atmosphere at Easton’s Promise to help guests get back on their feet. Once they have reached a certain level of financial stability, and are mentally and emotionally ready, they are invited to move into one of TIS’ ten off-site transitional apartments.

While in the apartments, guests are still required to participate in case management and educational opportunities. There, they start off by paying approximately $250 per month in rent, and over time, their portion increases until they are able to take over all expenses. They are then monitored for several months to ensure that they are able to sustain the payments before they graduate and move on, returning as productive members of the community.

“We are so proud of Gail, and so grateful for her contributions to our community,” says TIS Executive Director Julie Lowe. “Without her efforts on behalf of our neighbors in need, we would not be where we are today.”

To learn more about Talbot Interfaith Shelter and how to help, visit talbotinterfaithshelter.org or contact Julie Lowe at julielowe@talbotinterfaithshelter.org or 410-310-2316.

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An Evening for a Purpose on October 26th to Benefit Shelter Program

October 10, 2019 by Talbot Interfaith Shelter

Talbot Interfaith Shelter (TIS) is excited to announce a partnership with Marc Del Pino of Marc Randall. Marc will chair a fundraising event to benefit their S4 Program (Shelter, Stability, Support, Success) on October 26th at Scossa Restaurant in Easton. An Evening for a Purpose will feature a wine-pairing dinner prepared by Scossa’s head chef Giancarlo Tondin, a roving fashion show, in-house artists, and live music.

In the past, Marc has chaired several events such as this with the group Fashion for the Arts, which was created to bring fashion and support children art programs in our community. Previous beneficiaries of these endeavors have been Easton Rocks, YMCA, and Cricket Theater to mention a few.

The proceeds from this event will support TIS’ S4 Program, a long-term, comprehensive program that guides local families and individuals from homelessness to financial independence. TIS provides shelter, case management, educational programming, and a transitional housing component to ensure that guests have the time, resources, knowledge, and tools they need to get back on their feet and stay there.

Tickets are $150 per person, and space is limited. To purchase tickets, visit talbotinterfaithshelter.org or mail a check to Talbot Interfaith Shelter at PO Box 2004, Easton, MD 21601. For more information about the event, contact Marc Del Pino at 410-820-4077. For more information about Talbot Interfaith Shelter, contact Jayme Dingler at jaymedingler@talbotinterfaithshelter.org or 443-786-4676.

Lip Sync Battle Raises Record Amount for Talbot Interfaith Shelter

April 18, 2019 by Talbot Interfaith Shelter

On April 13th, a sold out crowd filled the Waterfowl Building in Easton to attend the Lip Sync Battle to benefit Talbot Interfaith Shelter (TIS). Competitors and audience members from all over our community came together to have a great time, and raise money and awareness for TIS’ S4 Program (Shelter, Stability, Support, Success).

This year’s live show contestants – Team CBMM, Team Scout, Team BAAM, The Happy Hour Honies, Team Gabby, The Country School Faculty, Team Eastern Shore Brewing, and The Chapple Family, Team Coastal Retreat, and the AKAs – along with the competition’s first-ever Online Only contestants – Team TIS and The Aerial Angels – collectively raised more than $26,000 to provide individuals and families in Talbot County with safe, stable shelter, case management, and access to resources and tools that will help them build sustainable self-sufficiency. This is a record amount raised since the event’s founding in 2017.

“Each year, we are so humbled by the efforts of our teams,” says TIS Marketing and Development Director and show organizer Jayme Dingler. “Not only do our contestants work hard to raise money and put on a good show, but they bring people from every corner of our community together to share a joyous evening together for a common purpose. It is a rare occurrence, and it is quite an inspirational experience.”

There were three awards given out at the end of the evening. The first was the Online Only award, which was won by the Aerial Angels from The Studio in St. Michaels. After an unprecedented four-way lip sync-off, the People’s Choice Award went to Team Gabby. Another first for the event came with the Live Show Award, given to the live show team that raised the most money for TIS. This year, the top two teams were so close that a tie was declared between the Country School Faculty and the Happy Hour Honies.

The event was presented by the Easton branch of Wells Fargo Advisors, Eat Sprout, and On Your Mark Lighting Design. Additional sponsorships and services were provided by TIS Business Partners Applebee’s, Subway, Olive Garden, Bay Imprint, Campbell’s Boatyards, Doc’s Downtown Grille, Hair O’ The Dog, Aaron’s Easton Store, 1880 Bank, Hill’s Café and Juice Bar, and Catering By Jamie.

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, which provides Shelter, Stability, Support, and a path to Success for families and individuals on Maryland’s Mid-Shore. 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 julielowe@atlanticbb.net. If you would like more information about TIS’ Business Partnership Plan, contact Jayme Dingler at 443-786-4676 or tis.jayme@gmail.com.

Lip Sync Battle for TIS Returns for Third Year

March 31, 2019 by Talbot Interfaith Shelter

It’s Back!! The most fun night of the year – the Lip Sync Battle to benefit Talbot Interfaith Shelter – returns on April 13th at 7:00 pm at the Waterfowl (Old Armory) Building in Easton. Teams from all over the community will perform their hearts out to earn votes (in the form of donations to TIS) in hopes of becoming the 2019 Lip Sync Champions! Adding to the fun are co-hosts Jayme D and Jay Hudson from Eastern Shore Brewing, who will be joined this year by DJ Matt Spence from WCEI. This family-friendly show is presented by On Your Mark Lighting, Eat Sprout, and Wells Fargo Advisors Easton.

This year’s contestants, who range in age from their single-digits to their 60’s, are The Happy Hour Honies, Team Eastern Shore Brewing, Team Scout, Team Gabby, The Country School Faculty, The AKAs, Team BAAM, Team Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, Team Coastal Retreat, and The Chapple Family. They are ready to rock out and create an unforgettably fun evening! This year, TIS has also added an online-only competition, which currently features Team TIS and the Aerial Angels from The Studio in St. Michaels. The winner of the online competition will be announced at the end of the live show. Interested participants for both the live show and online competition should contact Jayme at tis.jayme@gmail.com or 443-786-4676

Team Eastern Shore Brewing from last year’s event – from L-R: Jessica Bass, Jay Hudson, Jim Bass.

There are many ways to choose the winner of this epically fun event:

Buy a ticket to the show. Online ticket purchasers will be prompted to vote for their team of choice when they make their ticket purchase. Undecided voters and people buying tickets at the door can use their ticket as a ballot to vote for their favorite lip syncers. The purchase price or the ticket will be counted towards their fundraising total. As a bonus, just by purchasing a $27 ticket, attendees will also be providing a “win” for a man, woman or child in need in our community by covering the cost of shelter and services for one day!

Come early and come hungry and thirsty! Doors open at 6:15 for dinner provided by Catering by Jamie and Hill’s Soda Fountain. There will also be beer and wine provided by Hair O’ The Dog, and plenty of snacks and non-alcoholic beverages available. Every dollar spent on food and drinks will count as a vote for your team of choice.

Make an online donation. Those unable to attend the show, or who just want to help push their contestant over the edge, can vote by making an online donation to TIS.

Buy tickets, meet the contestants, and vote at talbotinterfaithshelter.org.

Talbot Interfaith Shelter 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.

To learn more about TIS and how you can help, visit www.talbotinterfaithshelter.org or contact Julie Lowe at 410-310-2316 or julielowe@atlanticbb.net.

Eat Sprout and TIS Join Forces For Zero Waste

February 6, 2019 by Talbot Interfaith Shelter

Eat Sprout has big plans for 2019, and they enlisted Talbot Interfaith Shelter to help them reach their goals and better our community in the process.

Sprout is making big strides this year toward becoming a zero waste company. They have already converted to compostable packaging, and are planning to take incremental steps throughout the year to ensure that they are 100% waste-free by 2020. According to Sprout owner Ryan Groll, this means that everything that is edible will be turned into something that can be consumed, and any food byproducts will be composted and distributed to local farmers.

A large part of their zero waste effort involves making sure that unsold pre-packaged food makes it to people who will eat it, rather than ending up in the trash. For this part of their plan, Groll reached out to Talbot Interfaith Shelter. TIS has both a shelter facility and eight off-site transitional apartments. While the shelter receives daily meal donations, often the families and individuals living in the apartments need a little help beyond their grocery budget.

When there are extra meals and snacks available at Sprout, Groll contacts TIS’ Operations Manager Fran Doran, and she picks them up and brings them to Easton’s Promise for distribution to the apartment guests.

“We are so excited about this partnership,” Doran says. “Not only does it help fill a need for our guests, but it exposes them to healthy food and ingredients that they might not normally eat. It also teaches them that eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated, and that a simple meal can be nutritious and taste great.”

Sprout has a tradition of donating food to those in need in our community. It is important to Groll that he is able to provide already prepared meals, rather than donating leftover ingredients.

Groll says, “Whenever I go to food banks, I see people taking easy-to-prepare food that can be easily and quickly cooked, but isn’t necessarily healthy. Perhaps they want the fresh ingredients that are available, but don’t know how to prepare them, or simply don’t have the time, so they opt for the non-perishable options. When we donate food, we want it to be fresh and ready-to-eat, so that the recipients can have a healthy meal that’s just as easy as a processed one.”

Eat Sprout is owned and operated by husband and wife Ryan and Emily Groll. The Grolls are passionate about healthy living and helping others thrive. As experts in the health, fitness and the food industry, they believe taste buds are made happiest by food that’s crafted close by, in smaller batches and by certified nutritionists interpreting great recipes. Rather than stamping out huge quantities of meals from a giant kitchen somewhere and trucking them all over the world, they work with local farmers to prepare a great variety of tasty prepared meals, all dreamed up locally and delivered to directly to their customers’ doors. They’ve also created a Grab n Go café on Aurora Street in Easton where their products can be sampled and bought.

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.

Local Restaurants Provide Monthly Meals to Talbot Interfaith Shelter

January 29, 2019 by Talbot Interfaith Shelter

If there is one local organization that exemplifies the Talbot County community’s ability to rally together to assist those in need, it’s Talbot Interfaith Shelter. Among other support, more than 450 volunteers from multiple faith communities, organizations, and charitable individuals provide supervision, meals, and fellowship for the guests at TIS’ shelter facility, Easton’s Promise. Local businesses have jumped on board as well, including several restaurants that provide monthly meals for shelter guests.

In years past, TIS has received delicious support from the likes of The Bartlett Pear, Out of the Fire, and Giuffrieda’s Pizza. Currently, monthly meals are being provided by the Easton Applebee’s, Olive Garden, and Subway. Incredibly, Applebee’s has been supporting TIS consistently since their 2013 Shelter Century bike ride. Pizza Hut also regularly delivers extra food from their lunch buffet for the guests at Easton’s Promise.

When asked why they provide meals for TIS, Subway manager Tommy Cassidy said, “It’s not about the press at the end of the day. I’ve got it, and they don’t, and that’s how I was raised. Our branch tries to help the community as much as possible.”

For their part, TIS is grateful to these restaurants for their assistance. “Each month, without fail, these busy businesses take time out to feed our guests,” says TIS Executive Director Julie Lowe. “It means the world to us, and is such a great treat for the folks in our shelter program.”

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, or if your restaurant would like to be a monthly dinner donor, visit www.talbotinterfaithshelter.org or contact Julie Lowe at 410-310-2316 or julielowe@atlanticbb.net.

Local Girl Scouts Collect Necessities for Talbot Interfaith Shelter

January 1, 2019 by Talbot Interfaith Shelter

When local Girl Scout Troop 961 was looking for a community service project for this holiday season, one particular charitable organization came to mind. Members from the troop had volunteered for Talbot Interfaith Shelter’s Long Walk Home Family Fun Walk in October, and they were eager to continue helping the shelter and transitional housing program. They decided to do a supply drive.

“This year we chose the Interfaith Shelter because they help local people with other things and teach skills besides just the usual food drives and soup kitchens that charities usually have around the holidays,” said Troop Leader Theresa Plog.

The troop, co-led by Plog and Casey Andrews, is based out of St. Michaels and has 26 members, ranging in age from kindergarten to seventh grade. They reached out to TIS’ Marketing and Development Director Jayme Dingler in November to find out if there was anything in particular the organization needed. She provided them with a list of household essentials, including paper towels and toilet paper, laundry and dish detergent, baggies of all sizes, snacks to put in a bag lunch, and more.

The girls made and distributed flyers asking neighbors, friends and family to help donate items from the list and then collected the items. A group of scouts then delivered the haul to TIS’ shelter facility at Easton’s Promise on December 19^th. While at the shelter, Dingler and Executive Director Julie Lowe met with them and talked to them about how the organization’s S4 Program works and answered any questions they had.

“We love to see what local kids can accomplish when they are on a mission,” says Dingler. “We are always impressed by the finished product, and this was no exception. It was obvious that the girls took this very seriously and worked really hard to collect as much as possible. We are both grateful for the supply infusion and gratified to see young people who want to make a difference in our community.”

Many of the girls who gathered donations were unable to make it to the shelter to deliver them, but one of the scouts, Ruby Fisher, said, “That’s ok. I enjoyed making the holiday brighter for others.”

Easton Walmart Provides Grant for Talbot Interfaith Shelter

November 19, 2018 by Talbot Interfaith Shelter

Talbot Interfaith Shelter (TIS) is excited to announce that they have received a $1,000 community grant from the Easton Walmart in support of their S4 Program (Shelter, Stability, Support, Success).

Walmart’s Community Grant website states that “Walmart believes in operating globally and giving back locally – creating an impact in the neighborhoods where we live and work.” The program is distinctive in that it empowers the local Walmart manager to decide where the grant funding is awarded. Easton’s store manager Doug Avery visited TIS’ shelter facility at Easton’s Promise to learn more about their mission. In addition to the grant funding, he asked about other shelter needs that Walmart may be able to help with in the future.

Pictured L-R: Doug Avery – Easton Walmart Store Manager, Fran Doran – TIS Operations Manager, Julie Lowe – TIS Executive Director

“We were so pleased by how receptive and hands-on Doug was,” says TIS Executive Director Julie Lowe. “One of the beautiful things about our community is that even the leaders of branches of major corporations make the time to learn about our mission and how they can help lift up our neighbors in need. Doug was genuinely interested in our program and how Walmart could be of service.”

When asked about his role in the grant process, Avery says, “Talbot Interfaith Shelter does amazing things for our community and it’s an honor to be able to help support them.”

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.

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