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DENTON – “This is one of my favorite days every year,” said the Caroline Foundation’s President, Terry Mead, on the morning of November 4. This day marks the eleventh year since the Caroline Foundation began giving out grant monies to Caroline County-based organizations, and their eighth year doing so at an awards breakfast, which was held at the Wharves of Choptank JOK Walsh Visitor’s Center in Denton.
The funds that the Foundation gives were first achieved through the sale of the Caroline Nursing Home and the Gables assisted living facility in 2015. By leaving administrative duties to the Mid-Shore Community Foundation and only having volunteers as Board Members, the Caroline Foundation is able to keep their operation costs to 1% of their total assets annually. The Foundation invests its assets through stock brokerages to keep the money – and its local impact – multiplying.
For the 2026 grant cycle, 35 grants were awarded to a tune of $1,050,000 total. The recipients were Aaron’s Place Inc., Adkins Arboretum, Benedictine School for Exceptional Children, Caroline County Department of Emergency Services, Caroline County Public Schools, Caroline County Recreation and Parks, Caroline County Sheriff’s Office, Caroline Medical Adult Day Care, CASA of Caroline, Community Civic League of Federalsburg Inc., Compass Regional Hospice Inc., Critical Repairs Caroline County, DC Center, Federalsburg Activities Center, For All Seasons Inc., Friends of the Grape Inc. dba Chesapeake Culinary Center, Giving Grace Food Pantry LLC, Greater New Hope Church & Ministries, His Hope Ministries, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore Inc., Martin’s House & Barn, MASSB Foundation (Caroline County Social Services), Men for Change Inc., Mid-Shore Restoring Hope in Women, Moveable Feast, Radcliffe Creek School Inc., Society of St. Andrew, The Smart Cookie Foundation Inc., Tides of Grace Inc., Union Bethel AME Church, Union United Methodist Church, Upper Shore Aging, and the YMCA of the Chesapeake.
As he presented the checks (which could not be opened until the recipients left the ceremony), Mead invited each representative of their respective organization to tell a little bit about themselves and what they intend to use the grant money for.
Caroline County’s Department of Emergency Services gave a heartfelt thank you to the Caroline Foundation for last year’s grant, which allowed them to implement a new whole-blood program to administer whole blood to patients. “We have administered 10 units of blood to various patients,” said Director Mark Sheridan, “I don't know of anything in EMS that we have implemented that has a bigger impact on people.” Division Chief KJ Marvel said this year’s grant “will go towards ventilators for our ambulances.”
Mid-Shore Restoring Hope in Women’s President Kathy Bowring said their grant money would help cover “bed nights and transportation for our ladies” at their recovery home in Federalsburg, while Suzy Moore of Atkins Arboretum said they plan to continue providing “free memberships to Caroline County residents who identify as low income” thanks to the Foundation.
Chief Deputy Rodney Helmer of the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office got teary-eyed as he described the Caroline Cares peer-support program, which offers first responders “confidential peer support” and access to professional mental health services. This program was able to be adopted earlier this year and will continue due to these grant funds.
Roxanne Wolf with said that grants from the Foundation benefit Caroline County’s backpack program, which provides over 1,000 children meals to last them through the weekend every Friday. This work was even extended through summer break, where “we actually served 400 children meals door to door,” Wolf said.
Mead reflected on the work done thus far, and the work ahead. “In 11 years, we have given 239 grants to 52 nonprofits totaling 8 million dollars. Our very first year, we gave two grants for 109,000,” he said. He mentioned that despite turning 75 this past September, he wants to lead at least two more years of Caroline Foundation grant cycles. To the community leaders in the room, Mead said on behalf of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, “We’re grateful for what you do…We just want to give you guys credit, and you won’t ever get enough.”
