To all of our wonderful TIS donors:
As we turn a leaf on a season, I would like to give heartfelt thanks to our volunteers and donors. You all are a part of our staff who are working so hard to help our guests to turn their lives around. Sometimes, it’s one or two big things that force a person into homelessness. Other times, it is a mountain of smaller things that have built up over time.
Our TIS Case Managers are often overwhelmed by the stories of horrific trauma by some of our guests. They do their best to uplift and encourage beneficiaries, while offering them hope and a path to stability and self-reliance. It is incredibly difficult work. TIS is staffed 24/7/365, and our daytime house volunteers do an incredible job to relieve staff of some of the more mundane tasks so they can focus on the challenging work of supporting our neighbors who are without baseline resources.
I want to celebrate each and every compassionate human who comes together to surround our guests with love and support. I give thanks to our volunteers who always respond to the call, and who show up to open the front door for spontaneous donations, who write thank you notes, who answer phone calls, who field visitors, and those who spend time in the houses when staff people are off-site, on vacation or out sick, keeping our guests safe and feeling cared for. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of our volunteers, we are able to significantly reduce operational costs, allowing us to direct more resources towards providing critical support and services to those in need.
I feel that TIS not only serves our program participants in this way, but also the greater community, by giving folks a place to share their intrinsic motivation to help others. If you are looking for an outlet for your care and compassion, TIS is a wonderful home for you too.
Please read the rest of our newsletter to find opportunities to volunteer, or call me directly: 410-310-2316. If you’re signed up as a volunteer already, keep an eye out for an email from Jesse Johnson, our Volunteer Coordinator, to sign up for Talbot County’s Resource Day on October 19, and our Dancing Through The Decades – 80s Night fundraiser on November 23.
Thank you all for being a critical part of Team TIS and for giving your neighbors the best opportunity possible to change their lives for the better.
– Julie Lowe