This month’s winter storm and sub-freezing temperatures were a stark reminder of how dangerous things can be for our neighbors who do not have roofs over their heads. It was also a reminder of how our community can come together and help each other in our time of need. Thanks to you, 55 men, women, and children (including a newborn baby) were safe from the storm, and received comfort, caring, and compassionate assistance. We could not be more grateful!
Scroll down to see what YOU made possible this month as we continue the fight against homelessness on the Mid-Shore!
Letter from the Executive Director
In her January letter, Executive Director Julie Lowe discusses winter storm preparations, the impact of your year-end donations, and our favorite time of year – Lip Sync Season!
Thanks to your support, many of our guests are on the move this month! A family from Easton’s Promise moved from our S4 Program (Shelter, Stability, Support, Success) and into shared housing with family friends in New Jersey. Shortly thereafter, we welcomed one of the families from our waiting list into the shelter.
A single guest living at Evelyn’s Place took the next step on the journey to self-sufficiency, moving into TIS transitional housing! Another resident of Evelyn’s Place has submitted an application for permanent housing – cross your fingers and toes that she is accepted!
Speaking of “on the move,” Tony – our transitional housing guest who we introduced you to a couple of months ago – started his own business! He uses a U-Haul truck to help remove furniture from local estates. We are incredibly proud of his work ethic and industriousness. Tony definitely has an eye on the prize: Success!
Three more guests are making moves toward their career goals through our partnership with Chesapeake College. One began her CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) training this month, and two started the college’s new welding program. Through Chesapeake College, our guests are able to access scholarship funding for their education. Chesapeake also makes learning more accessible for the community by coming to their students – the welding class is being hosted at BAAM so that it’s easy for Easton participants to attend!
We are also excited to have launched new partnerships with two new behavioral heath programs. Through Charlie Health, S4 Program participants can receive virtual intensive therapy, both one-on-one and in groups. New Day, New Start will be visiting our guests to introduce their services, and will offer in-person counseling.
Guests from both Easton’s Promise and Evelyn’s Place started Untangling Relationships class, facilitated by Director of Operations Sadé Howard and Case Manager DeWayne Camper. In addition, our Parenting Support Group continues to meet regularly under the guidance of the Talbot County Department of Social Services.
With the start of a new year, guests were asked to recommit to the S4 Program and what we call our 30/60/90 plan. As part of their case management, each guest has benchmarks to meet in his/her personal plan every 30 days. This helps everyone to stay on track and work hard towards their goals. Opportunities for time extensions are available for guests who are actively working their plans. Our mission is to help our guests overcome homelessness, and personal responsibility is an essential part of achieving Success!
This wonderful news is only possible because of YOU. We cannot thank you enough!
Our fervent thanks go out to Team TIS for another incredible month! From house-sitting to nutritious and delicious meals to donations of much-needed supplies and household items, our program can’t run without YOU!
Additional highlights from the month include:
One of our guests is giving back by painting several rooms at Evelyn’s Place!
Our Volunteer Coordinator, Jesse Johnson, teamed up with volunteers to bring crochet and knitting lessons to guests in our S4 Program!
Our first Bingo Night at the Easton Fire House was a success! Approximately 40 people attended for fun, games, and prizes, and nearly $1,000 was raised for our childcare assistance fund. If you missed it, never fear… Our Director of Operations, Sadé Howard, will be hosting monthly bingo nights throughout the year! See our calendar below for upcoming dates.
Director of Development and Marketing, Laura Richeson, manned the table at the Talbot County Community Center open skate event, promoting our upcoming Lip Sync Battle fundraiser (scroll down for more info)!
Executive Director, Julie Lowe, continues to be an active member of the Talbot County Senior Housing Task Force!
TIS teamed up with the Talbot County Department of Emergency Services to open our Vine Street location as a 24-hour warming center during the recent winter storm! Grace Street and the Neighborhood Service Center also provided 24-hour availability to our neighbors looking for warmth and a safe place to lay their heads.
Thank You, Casey Family!
The wonderful Casey Family hosted their sock collection drive during the holiday season, and once again, TIS was a grateful recipient! The Caseys stopped by this month to drop off two giant bags full of socks for our guests.
We are so grateful to this family for warming feet (and hearts) each year through this community-wide collection campaign. They are valued members of Team TIS!
Thank You For A Successful Year-End Appeal!
We were blown away by the outpouring of generosity during our year-end fundraising appeal! Thanks to YOU, we not only unlocked our $50,000 match, but we exceeded our $250,000 fundraising goal and raised nearly $300,000 to help our neighbors achieve lasting self-sufficiency!
We cannot thank you enough for joining Team TIS in the fight against homelessness on the Mid-Shore. This is the power of community – we can accomplish anything when we work together! With a $1.6 million operating budget and nearly 200 people on our waiting list, the war still rages on, but this was a HUGE battle won, and it’s all because of YOU!
Sheila Buckmaster is back with another installment in her “Meet Team TIS” series! This month, she sat down with Waldo, who graduated from the S4 Program (Shelter, Stability, Support, Success) in 2025!
Click the button below to read Sheila’s recounting of Waldo’s journey from unexpected homelessness to incredible Success, thanks to YOUR SUPPORT!
What To Do If You Come Across A Homeless Neighbor
While local shelters are doing their best to keep up with demand, there are still people in our community who do not have anywhere to go during this dangerous weather. If you should run into a neighbor who needs assistance, here’s what you should do:
Have them call our shelter at 410-690-3120. TIS is not an emergency shelter – we are a long-term program with a process in place for screening and welcoming new guests into our shelters. We are also currently at capacity. However, our Case Managers may be able to help find someone placement at another local shelter, or connect them with services that can help in other ways, like a temporary hotel stay.
Point him/her in the direction of a local warming station. There are many organizations who open their doors during the day in cold weather so that people have a place to go, keep warm, and maybe get something to eat or grab some internet access. Click below for a list of warming centers on the Mid-Shore:
Mid-Shore Warming Center Locations and Hours
Easton Library Meeting Room and Lobby (100 W Dover Street, Easton)
M & Th: 9 am – 8 pm, T & W: 9 am – 6 pm, F & Sat: 9 am – 5 pm
Brookletts Place/Talbot Senior Center (400 Brookletts Avenue, Easton)
M – F: 8 am -3 pm
Grace Street (8262 Ocean Gateway, Easton)
Every Day: 8 am – 10 pm
Oxford Community Center (200 Oxford Road, Oxford)
M – F: 9 am- 5 pm
St. Michaels Community Center (103 Railroad Avenue, St. Michaels)
M – F: 9 am- 5 pm
Perkins Family YMCA (300 Seymour Avenue, St. Michaels)
M – Th: 5 am – 8 pm, F: 5 am – 7 pm, Sat: 7 am – 5 pm, Sun: 11 am – 5 pm
Caroline County Public Library
Denton Branch (100 Market Street, Denton)
M – F: 10 am – 6 pm
Federalsburg Branch (123 Morris Ave, Federalsburg)
M – F: 2 pm – 6 pm
Greensboro Branch (101 Cedar Lane, Greensboro)
M – F: 2 pm – 6 pm
His Hope Ministries (100 Market Street, Denton)
Sat: 9 am – 12 pm
Dorchester County Public Library
Cambridge Branch (303 Gay Street, Cambridge)
M – W: 10 am – 6 pm
Th – Sat: 9 am – 5 pm
Hurlock Branch (222 S Main Street, Hurlock)
M – W: 10 am – 6 pm
Th: 11 am – 7 pm
Queen Anne’s County Senior Centers
Grasonville Senior Center (4802 Main Street, Grasonville)
Kent Island Senior Center (891 Love Point Road, Stevensville)
Sudlersville Senior Center (605 Foxtown Road, Sudlersville)
M – F: 8 am – 4 pm
Queen Anne’s County Library
Centreville Branch (121 Commerce Street, Centreville)
Kent Island Branch (200 Library Circle, Stevensville)
M – Th: 9 am – 8 pm
F – Sat: 9 am – 5 pm
In 2017, we were growing rapidly and were looking for new ways to bring funding into our organization and raise awareness for our mission. The first Lip Sync Battle was born. In year one, we hosted 5 teams at the Avalon Theatre and raised $10,000, and we were overwhelmed by the response.
10 years on, Lip Sync Battle has become one of the most highly-anticipated community events of the year, involving 15-20 teams each year across two different competitions, and having raised $500,000 to date to help our neighbors overcome homelessness!
This event has been through many variations throughout the years: changing venues, different formats due to the pandemic (Who remembers the telethon?), and ever-increasing joy and silliness. Lip Sync has become a kind of a microcosm of TIS itself – no matter what comes up, we pivot and adjust to make sure our mission sustains, and our community comes together in support!
This year is no different. For our 10th year of Lip Sync Battle, we are taking the party to a new home – the Talbot County Community Center – on Saturday, April 18th! It’s a larger space, which means room for more people to join in the fun! We’ll announce this year’s competitors and open up fundraising and ticket sales in the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye out.
This is shaping up to be the biggest Lip Sync Battle yet, with a fundraising goal of $150,000. If you would like to participate by putting a team together, or take advantage of incredible advertising benefits for your business as a sponsor, please reach out to our Director of Development and Marketing, Laura Richeson, at lauraricheson@talbotinterfaithshelter.org or 443-786-6962.
Get your dabbers ready for monthly TIS bingo, hosted by our Director of Operations, Sadé Howard! Test your luck to win cash and prizes and help raise money to support our childcare fund for the families in our S4 Program.
Get your dabbers ready for monthly TIS bingo, hosted by our Director of Operations, Sadé Howard! Test your luck to win cash and prizes and help raise money to support our childcare fund for the families in our S4 Program!
Get your dabbers ready for monthly TIS bingo, hosted by our Director of Operations, Sadé Howard! Test your luck to win cash and prizes and help raise money to support our childcare fund for the families in our S4 Program!
Visit us at the TIS booth while you're shopping!
Tickets for this incredible night of joy will go on sale in mid-February! In the meantime, if you would like to compete in our Live Show or Video Competition, CLICK HERE to sign up before January 31st!
There are so many ways to partner with Talbot Interfaith Shelter to fight homelessness on the Mid-Shore. With your help, we provide Shelter, Stability, Support, and a path to Success for our neighbors in need. Scroll down to explore opportunities to help and choose those that speak to your heart. No matter how you participate, we are so grateful to have you on Team TIS!
We are incredibly fortunate to operate in a community that supports us in so many ways. Our local business community is no exception. Many amazing business partners help us to fulfill our mission. There are partnerships at various financial levels, each with benefits that help our partners maximize their advertising dollars while changing the lives of families and individuals in our community.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a business partner, or need information about how to return your application, contact Laura Richeson at lauraricheson@talbotinterfaithshelter.org or 443-786-6962 or simply fill out the form below.
Our Business Partners
Keys to Success Partners
Raise the Roof Partners
Home Builder Partners
Open Doors Partners
Foundation Partners
Eastern Shore Title Co.
Blue Heron Coffee
Scossa Restaurant
Blue Heron Catering
Sentry Management