Talbot Interfaith Shelter Opens For Sixth Season

~This year’s season includes several new partner congregations

The Talbot Interfaith Shelter (TIS) is set to open for the sixth season on Dec. 1 at Temple B’Nai Israel in Easton.

The cold-weather shelter rotates among faith community host sites through the first week of April, and can house up to five people each night, between the hours of 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. Each guest receives dinner, breakfast and – new this year – a bagged lunch through a donation from Applebee’s. Giant also this year provided a generous donation for shelter supplies.

TIS welcomes several new partner congregations this year: Bellevue, Bozman, Neavitt and Whitman United Methodist Churches; Grace Lutheran Church and Union Baptist Church. Union United Methodist Church in St. Michaels, a previous partner, is hosting the shelter for the first time this year.

Last year’s season saw 3,571 volunteer hours for more than 500 bed nights. And each year since 2011, TIS has sheltered several families in an off-site apartment.

The TIS board of directors is working hard on plans for a permanent shelter in Easton that would provide 24-hour shelter for up to 40 people, with a special emphasis on housing families. According to the Maryland State Department of Education, for the 2012-13 year, Talbot County Public Schools had 98 homeless students. Talbot County, however, does not have a shelter for families with children.

TIS is greatly in need of volunteers, particularly people with fundraising experience and a passion for our mission. If you’d like to get involved, please contact board president Julie Lowe at 410-310-2316.

If you or someone you know needs shelter, please contact TIS Operations Manager Fran Doran at 410-253-5414.

The Talbot Interfaith Shelter is a volunteer, interfaith-based service organization in Talbot County dedicated to providing safe, temporary shelter to men, women and children who lack adequate housing. TIS also is dedicated to raising awareness about homelessness in our community.

TIS is a component fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, a public foundation designated as a 501(c)(3) charity.