By Sheila Feldman Buckmaster
We are on the phone together. Kimberly can hear me tapping away on my keyboard. I can hear her three-year-old talking up a storm. The interview for this story was scheduled to be face to face. But given that Kimberly’s two-month-old baby is under the weather, she is talking to me from her home.
Home.
Late last year, Kimberly and her three daughters moved from the Talbot Interfaith Shelter to a three-bedroom apartment in Easton.
Kimberly’s gratitude for her new housing situation is infectious. Her heartwarming appreciation is more proof that TIS changes lives—even when guests “graduate” into their own living spaces.
“We have a washer, a dryer, a dishwasher!” she exclaims, “and each of us has lots of room.” The eldest of the three daughters (nine years old), has her own bedroom, as does the three-year old. The infant sleeps in a crib (provided by TIS) in Kimberly’s bedroom. Relying on the generous giving offered by TIS donors, the shelter provided the furnishings for Kimberly’s new home
But as much as she is thrilled to have her own space, Kimberly misses the shelter. Everyday. She talks about the support and caring attention that characterized her stay. “If it seemed that I was spending too much time in my room,” she explains. “I would get a knock on my door. I would be asked if I was doing okay.”
It is that level of caring that helped Kimberly and her kids get back on their feet – except for the littlest one, who has a mother who is dedicated to bringing her up right.As experienced as she is when it comes to raising daughters, Kimberly’s stay at the shelter, which began on August 11, 2025, included workshops focused on parenting as well as another devoted to money management. Her days also included chores, from cleaning the kitchen to laundry.
Her three-year-old got to play outside, in the fenced-in backyard that was brimming with toys. The baby was on its way into a world that would give her the best chance to experience a stable life. Thanks to TIS. The family moved into their spacious apartment in December.
Kimberly’s oldest is in school. Her plan is to get the middle child into preschool and the baby into day care. Once all these ducks are in a row, she will turn her attention to securing a job—preferably as a customer-service staffer. Good choice! Her time on the phone with me, as well as her interview with members of the TIS team (at the end of which a move-in day was arranged) indicates that she is clearly good with people.
You won’t be surprised to learn that TIS also will be instrumental in helping Kimberly secure employment. Once a TIS stint is completed, staffers stay in touch with the people who have been under their day-to-day guidance and care. They remain ready to jump in when needed. Also helping out is a grant for single-mothers from Chesapeake College.
As for that original, critical shelter interview, Kimberly says that “it was the kids who won them over.” I’m not sure that’s the complete answer. Kimberly is impressive—articulate and forward-thinking. It was clear that she was a perfect candidate for shelter care and advancement. (We all know that it doesn’t take long to form a first impression).
When she was in residence, “TIS helped me so much. I was a real big crybaby when I first got there, but they assured me that everything would turn out okay.”
A prediction that became fact.“I love to see my kids happy,” Kimberly shares.
That just about says it all.
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