Dear Friends,
As the cooler, dryer air of fall settles in and the leaves begin their magical transformation, I find myself reflecting on the spirit of change that autumn brings. Just as nature swaps its summer greens for vibrant reds and golds, so too do our guests at the shelter embrace new beginnings and brighter days ahead, a result of your faithful support.
As we transition into October and the Halloween “spooky season,” I also find myself thinking about fear. If I were to poll those reading this letter, I suspect many would say their greatest fear is something like spiders or heights or small spaces. But for so many of our neighbors, fear hits much closer to home – literally. They are terrified about whether they will have a roof over their heads, whether their children will have a bed to sleep in, or whether they will be able to afford food.
Thanks to your generosity, dozens of men, women, and children at Talbot Interfaith Shelter don’t have to face that fear alone. You provide our guests with Shelter, Stability, and Support and give them the time and encouragement to achieve Success.
This September, we are overjoyed to celebrate several of our guests who moved into TIS transitional apartments at the end of August, and another who moved into transitional housing during the month. In addition, one of our guests was able to move directly from one of our shelters into his own housing. Each one is a monumental milestone, made possible by YOU! These transformations remind all of us that, with a little support and a lot of heart, real change is possible.
Currently, we have 5 families comprised of 5 single parents and 11 children residing at Easton’s Promise, and several more families in our apartments, each with their own story, dreams, and playful anticipation for the trick-or-treat season. With the generosity of volunteers who provide Halloween costumes for our families, we’re gearing up for an October filled with warmth, laughter, and fun instead of fear. Your continued contributions ensure that every family has a safe place to call home—and perhaps a few treats, too!
While we celebrate these uplifting successes, it’s important to acknowledge that we at TIS are also no strangers to fear. As the homelessness crisis in our community has grown, we have also grown consistently over the past 11 years to meet the need. In early 2014, we were serving 5 people at a time, and now we are able to house and support up to 60 of our neighbors at once. Over that same period of time, our budget has expanded from $250,000 to $1.6 million. As we work to adjust to our new financial needs, our resources are stretched frighteningly thin providing safe housing, meals, and essential services to local families and individuals striving for stability. The ever-looming prospect of having to cut back on our services or make even one of our guests homeless because we don’t have enough funding is the scariest thing we can imagine.
We need your help now more than ever to ensure that we can sustain our mission. Every dollar donated directly impacts the lives of our guests and helps us keep our doors open to those in need. If you would like to help with fundraising in a deeper capacity, I encourage you to reach out to our amazing Director of Development and Marketing, Laura Richeson at lauraricheson@talbotinterfaithshelter.org. There are so many ways you can help us make our mission sustainable. Perhaps you could even don a fun costume and host a Halloween-themed bake sale to help TIS keep the lights on and the educational programming going!
Thank you for being the magic behind our mission, the friendly spirits that lift us up, and the reason we can look forward to many more autumn transformations. Don’t forget that October 10 is World Homeless Day. The struggle for housing is worldwide, and we are so grateful for your partnership as we do everything we can to combat homelessness in our community.
With gratitude and spooky cheer,
Julie Lowe