Dear Friends of TIS,
My goodness, it’s been a hot, humid summer! People who are forced to live and move around outside without a respite are suffering more than usual. My heart goes out to them at all hours. Can you imagine sleeping in a tent or in a car every night when the air is not moving and it is in the 80+ degree realm?
Team TIS shoulders the weight of helping those who are outside in all types of weather. We have signed on to be a ‘Hydration Station’ this summer, and our volunteers hand out water to any passers-by who need refreshment. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to be a cooling station, so folks usually go to the library or the senior center or a friendly store to keep from melting.
As you will see in our newsletter and soon-to-be mailed annual report for fiscal year 2024-2025, TIS is always trying to help more individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness. We have plans in the works for our newest property at 133 Vine Street to be able to grow our capacity…but that will be a few years coming.
Currently the building is used for our S4 classes, storage for our Transitional Housing Program (18 apartments now!), and offices for our Development / Marketing and Maintenance Staff. We still have a bit of rearranging to do, and we have providers offering to help us with our meditation and yoga offerings, once that room is ready. So far, the HVAC system is hanging in there, with a little help from our friends at Perfect Temp HVAC and some fans.
As we move into our next fiscal year, our Board is contemplating how to assist more people, because we don’t have the capacity to help everyone in the 5 Mid-Shore counties who are experiencing homelessness. We are particularly perplexed by the growing number of seniors who are having this issue.
Since our program requires our guests to be working and saving their income, the seniors bring a challenging set of circumstances with them. Many of them physically cannot work because of health issues (when you’re grappling each day for shelter and food, health care takes a back burner position). There just isn’t enough attainable housing for people on fixed incomes, and not many can afford a home large enough for their family, much less a parent or two. Many young parents with children are really struggling just to make their own way. TIS subsidizes our Transitional Housing apartments so people in poverty can afford food and basic necessities.
Poverty is generational, and it takes heroic efforts to alter the patterns that keep people in poverty. TIS puts forth those efforts, but only with the help of our heroes like you! Please keep supporting TIS in any way you can—advocacy, volunteering, and donating your treasures. We share your caring hearts, and together we can make a positive difference, now and in the years ahead.
With gratitude,
Julie Lowe