Caroline County DSS asks board to help fund Thanksgiving program for elderly and disabled residents

Tiana Wilson, a senior benefits worker with Caroline County Department of Social Services, asked the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 14 for help filling a funding shortfall for the department’s Thanksgiving assistance program for elderly and disabled households.

Wilson told the board the program’s plan this year is to provide $50 gift cards per approved individual and that her target was to serve about 150 applicants, which would require roughly $7,500. She described fundraising activity since early August, including a recent community basketball fundraiser that brought in roughly $1,434 (a subtotal she reported during the meeting) and noted the department’s Thanksgiving pot previously contained about $700. As of the morning of Oct. 14, she reported the program had about $2,322 raised and 23 households approved. Wilson asked whether the board could consider a donation of up to $4,000 to help reach the goal.

Board members discussed the program’s prior funding: Wilson said the program previously relied in part on a COVID‑related adult protective services line item that lapsed, and that prior to the pandemic donations and ad hoc sponsorships were the primary funding source. Several supervisors encouraged Wilson’s outreach to local civic groups and rural social clubs, and one board member volunteered to check whether a local club could consider a donation at an upcoming meeting.

Supervisors did not make a formal appropriation during the meeting. Several said they were willing to consider backfilling the program from the unencumbered fund balance if external fundraising did not meet the need; board members asked DSS to keep the board updated so any county assistance would be considered before Thanksgiving. Wilson provided instructions for mailed checks (payable to Caroline DSS, memo: Thanksgiving program) and a county PO Box and in‑person dropoff for donations.