Talbot Interfaith Shelter (TIS) gives local families and individuals the resources and tools they need to rebuild their lives. Currently, the shelter is serving 33 people, including 4 single adults and 11 families with 16 children (with one on the way, and another due in March). Guests are in various phases of the S4 Program (Shelter, Stability, Support, Success), which is designed as a guide from homelessness to self-sufficiency. S4 incorporates case management, educational programming, peer support, and transitional housing to accomplish the goal of long-term financial independence.
Jayme Dingler, Marketing and Development Director at TIS highlights the following milestones reached in 2019:
- Three families graduated from the program, and are living successfully on their own.
- Four families moved from Easton’s Promise into transitional housing, where they still participate in case management and classes, while incrementally taking on more financial responsibility over time until they become fully independent.
- Four guests found new jobs.
- Four babies were born into the program, enabling their parents to raise them in a safe, stable environment.
- Their apartment program has been expanded from eight to ten apartments, and nine of them are currently full (two single individuals and seven families).
- There were two graduations (with a total of nine graduates) from their “Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin’ By World” class. So far, they have had 5 graduating classes.
Additionally, there have been a few successful fundraisers this year, says Jayme:
- The 3rd annual Lip Sync Battle fundraiser, raised approximately $27,000 in April. Each year, this event raises more and more. Our first year, we raised $10,000, the second year, we raised $17,500. In 2020, we are growing the event, and hope to raise $35,000 to $40,000.
- In mid-year, we had a group of donors who offered to match the next $10,000 we raised. As soon as we publicized this wonderful match challenge, another donor stepped forward to raise the match to $15,000. Within a month, we had reached our match and raised $30,000!
