Caroline Better Together

Federalsburg Better Together is working to unite residents, organizations, and leaders in a shared effort to create a thriving community. The project’s mission is to connect people with one another, identify existing strengths, and expand opportunities for positive collective impact in the Federalsburg community and beyond. This more localized effort grew out of the countywide Caroline Better Together initiative. In Federalsburg specifically, the focus is on helping residents develop solutions that increase economic mobility and reduce childhood poverty.

The project is also tied to ENOUGH, a statewide program led by the Governor’s Office for Children that encourages cooperation across four key areas: education from cradle to career, healthy families, economic security, and safe, thriving neighborhoods. Federalsburg is one of 27 communities across Maryland participating in the ENOUGH program.

Federalsburg Better Together will use an interactive asset map to help guide their work. The idea behind the map is simple: before gaps can be identified, there must first be a clear picture of what resources already exist and where they are located.

The map provides a foundation for planning and research. In the future, it may also be a practical tool to locate programs and services ranging from healthcare and childcare to food assistance and education.

The project is being conducted by the Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative at Salisbury University. Mary Buffington, ESRGC Project Manager, explained that by layering parcel data, land use information, census statistics, and demographics, the map will help guide “better data-driven decisions for our communities.”

The countywide map includes resources such as nonprofits, schools, businesses, government buildings, and healthcare providers. It also lists services related to housing, food access, legal help, childcare, wellness, financial support, and employment. Each entry contains a name, address, contact information, and category, while census data overlays make it possible to compare available resources with community needs.

At this stage, the map is still in draft form. While much of the information was drawn from the Caroline Better Together directory and government databases, Buffington noted that outside data sources can sometimes be outdated. Community input will be key to refining the tool. Residents can help by adding lesser-known resources, correcting errors, or providing details such as hours of operation.

“Having this local information, and local people with the local knowledge is really going to make this map so much better than what it is,” Buffington said. “Some of what we're showing is the best that we have, but we know that we can make it better.”

Once complete, the asset map will make it easier to see both resource-rich areas and places where gaps exist. Buffington explained that the tool can also reveal access challenges. “If legal help is available in one area, maybe we need to consider transportation, because legal help is quite specialized,” she said. The finished map will also strengthen grant applications by demonstrating where resources are lacking and what kinds of support are most needed. It will be available to the public online.

The need for such a tool is significant, said Kat Stork, local consultant with Shore Strategies, LLC. On behalf of Caroline Human Services Council, Shore Strategies is coordinating the Federalsburg Better Together initiative. “In Caroline County, about 12% of the population lives at or below that poverty threshold, then there's a large group in Caroline County that live in this area that we're calling ALICE—asset limited, income constrained, employed.” When combined, nearly half of Caroline County’s residents face financial challenges. Federalsburg Better Together hopes that by mapping resources and highlighting gaps while working with an ever-growing list of local leaders, the community can take meaningful steps toward change.