Martin's House & Barn

Community members are taking action through sharing their voices in Annapolis to tell the story of how the Engaging Neighborhoods, Organizations, Unions, Governments, and Households Act (ENOUGH) is impacting community development and supporting household stability in Caroline County. In February Danielle Brodka, active in Federalsburg Better Together and Deborah Hudson Vornbrock, executive director of Martin’s House and Barn and a board member for Caroline Human Services Council who is active in Caroline Better Together submitted testimony to the House Appropriations Committee sharing their thoughts. One aspect of the ENOUGH initiative is supporting community members in activating their own voices and lived experiences to impact decision-making and policy. Below are excerpts of written statements shared by these community members.

In Danielle’s words, “In the last year of my participation with FBT, I have personally experienced more community growth than I thought possible, and I attribute a large part of that to the ideals, guidance, and funding provided by ENOUGH. We are a very rural community that does not easily trust one another. I have two small children, Phoenix, and Sephie. As their mother, what I want, more than anything, is to give them a brighter and safer future, not just a step-up from the poverty I was raised in. FBT and ENOUGH have shown me that our community is changing and has HOPE. So long as we do not stop. We have mapped our existing assets and needs, begun plans to increase the skills of our community (like financial literacy & hygiene), and want to continue into developing programming to better the lives of everyone living here. We are on the road to REAL, LASTING, CHANGE. And we cannot fail, so long as we do not give up here. I implore you to see that by empowering us in this way, saying you believe in our ability to see what we need. You will aid us in becoming a stronger part of Maryland's future.”

In Deborah’s words, “ENOUGH works because it addresses childhood poverty at its roots - through coordinated, community-wide action rather than isolated programs.”

In Caroline County, this approach has come to life through Caroline Better Together, coordinated by the Caroline Human Services Council, where ENOUGH funding has strengthened shared infrastructure, aligned schools, nonprofits, government, faith communities, and residents, and elevated the voices of parents and caregivers with lived experience.

The ENOUGH capacity building funds to LMBS have supported opportunities for organizations like Martin’s House & Barn to improve collaboration, systems, and pathways to long-term stability for children and families, especially critical in a rural county with limited resources.

By recognizing that poverty is shaped by conditions and systems, not individual failure, ENOUGH enables communities to intervene earlier, reduce risk, and build resilience. In our rural county ENOUGH will continue to support communities to develop solutions from existing strengths, close gaps, and respond in ways that are grounded and unique to our rural places.