Community members want strength and vibrancy

Kat Stork Blaher is the owner of Shore Strategies, LLC, a consulting firm committed to supporting strong rural communities. Caroline Better Together is a place-based collective impact initiative facilitated by Shore Strategies on behalf of Caroline Human Services Council, with funding from the Maryland Children’s Cabinet, the Governor’s Office for Children and the Governor’s ENOUGH initiative.  Funding for the Steward Leader Program is provided through APHSA and Share Our Strength-No Kid Hungry.

Often, people I meet in my work across the Mid Shore ask me where I grew up and are surprised when I don’t respond, “Caroline County.” 

No, I grew up in northern Vermont, in a region similar to the Mid-Shore in acreage but far less populated, the North East Kingdom (NEK). I feel a sense of pride that I am mistaken for a Shore local.  I’ve made Caroline my home for many more years than the NEK was my home. And, while there are many differences between the two, what I’ve learned is that no matter the geography, community members have the same desire for their place to be strong and vibrant.

For the past four years I have worked with Caroline residents and organizations to develop a place-based initiative, Caroline Better Together, focused on fortifying a community where all families have access to resources they need to grow and thrive.  Several years ago, I was in Vermont for a visit and learned of the St Johnsbury Hub and met its director, Juliet Emas.  Juliet and I quickly realized that our efforts and the NEK and Caroline had much in common and we embarked on an idea to connect the two communities to learn from each other.  This experiment has been one of the greatest adventures I’ve been on.

Over the past two years Juliet and Hub community members have come to Caroline several times to share the model of community development they are using in the North East Kingdom with the Caroline Better Together network. “Neighbor Up” is a call to action to get involved, to treat everyone with respect, to share resources and to work collectively to strengthen our communities. 

Our connections have continued to grow as Juliet and I have adapted another program Juliet introduced in the NEK, and we have launched the Caroline Better Together-St Johnsbury Hub Co-Learning Steward Leadership Program. 

Currently on Wednesday evenings a dozen Caroline community members are meeting at the Federalsburg Library, while simultaneously a dozen NEK community members are meeting in St Johnsbury.  Connected through virtual technology, the participants are exploring what being a steward leader means on three levels - personally, within the community, and as a network.  They are hearing from local experts in both places about topics that can help them be strong steward leaders.  Session topics have ranged from Culture & Anthropology to Social Determinants of Health to Conflict Mediation.  Caroline and NEK experts have connected to co-create the sessions.

At a time when we hear a great deal about the disconnection between neighbors, where hate and violence lead the headlines across our country, it is in coming together, as these Steward Leaders are doing, that will help us face the future and protect the places that we call home.  Through discussion and co-learning in our own towns and neighborhoods and with others we can work together to ensure our communities are the places we want our children and grandchildren to grow up and to make their homes.

If you are interested in learning more about place-based collective impact or these projects reach out to me at kat@shorestrategiesllc.com.