Beauty is usually referred to in the visual sense—an external description of someone or something. But, beauty can also be created, and take shape in the most surprising of ways. What some may have seen as too large of a problem to tackle, one individual came forward and boldly began to build beauty from ashes.

Nine years ago, Rev. Dr. Nannette Pierson moved to the Lowcountry, and saw first-hand the sadness that hunger brings. What began with feeding five families in a small community room at Sandalwood Terrace Apartments is now a dynamic initiative that feeds more than 800 families. Sandalwood Community Food Pantry was built out of compassion, dignity and straightforward love. “Fill the belly. No one is turned away. They are all family,” says Nannette. The Pantry is her gift to them, wrapped in grace and presented without judgment.

“We rise by lifting others.” —Robert Ingersoll

We never know how deep is the river of the heart. Important is the fact it is filled with compassion, which rises up and engulfs those fortunate enough to be near.
When Ed and Susan Forbes finished renovating their magnificent, waterfront home, they knew it was meant to be shared. “Not particularly party people, we looked for a volunteer organization to help,” said Susan. “We were introduced to Kathy Cramer, Director of SOAR for Beaufort County. After our meeting, Ed, a strong supporter of St Jude’s, and I discussed it and felt we found our niche. We held our first party for the special needs group last December,” Susan said. “A DJ enlivened the party, and SOAR members from teenagers to age 65 danced, sang and enjoyed a fun evening.”

Debi Malool sleeps on cots sometimes, or even on the ground under a mosquito net. She’s been spat on by camels, stopped by armed guards in the middle of the jungle, avoided bandits in Tanzania, dodged bullets in the desert, danced with scorpions, endured 129 degree heat, and washed her hair for two weeks with baby powder, all for the sake of serving others. If “purpose is the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s needs,1” then Debi Malool’s place is wherever the poor, the suffering, the sick and needy are, whether that is on Hilton Head Island or the sub-Saharan African desert.

Why did you join the US Marines?  
There are quite a few reasons why I joined the United States Marine Corps. My mother passed away when I was 17 years old. 13 months later, my grandfather passed away. When my mom died my family was thrown into a whirlwind of chaos. I have a twin brother named Dustin. He and I found ourselves with nowhere to live. Friends and their families helped us along for a while. I had dropped out of school to take care of my mom while she fought the good fight against cancer. After she died, I went back to the principal to find out what I had to do to graduate. We were not on very good terms because I was unruly and unpredictable. I’m not sure what else you should expect from a teenager who has just lost everything she knows. I know now that the principal and the teachers cared deeply for me, but back then I was filled with despair and anger, so I was blind and did not understand what was happening and why.

Sometimes it takes as little as a vase of fresh flowers, or a coat of paint, to perk up a tired space. LouAnne Young Barrett has more than a few tricks up her sleeve to create renewed life into any work or living environment. LouAnne went to college to become a social worker. It didn’t take long to realize that art was really her first love, so she became an interior designer instead.

Just as suddenly as her career change happened, this article took a turn of events, as well. With our theme as “Let’s Decorate” this month, we wanted to feature LouAnne for the beautiful stage sets she develops and creates, with students’ assistance, for the booming theater program at Hilton Head Christian Academy and other community playhouses. Her sets are stunning. Little did we know of LouAnne’s life before the second phase of her career.

Your work is awe-inspiring! When did you first start painting? I really can’t remember a time when I didn’t paint. I remember Christmas when I was about 5 years old, my parents gave me a set of oils and a few canvas boards. I have been painting at least since then. I even remember my first painting – ladies in hats of all colors! Wish I still had it!

What is the smallest space you’ve tackled? And the largest? I am assuming you are referring to murals. The smallest was a mural in a hidden cupboard under a staircase – a perfect hideaway for the clients’ grandchildren. Fun but not comfortable to paint! The largest indoor have been complete houses with designs in almost every room--murals and finishes combined. Another was a play house/guesthouse with a continuous mural on all walls and ceilings. The largest exterior mural was a two-car garage painted to blend in with the trees surrounding it.

There is beauty in the ocean’s movement, where the ebb follows the flow, and the back and fourth is an understanding—an experience, which is lovely to witness. Such was my time with Leslie Richardson and her daughter, Forest. Like an outsider, welcomed in on a beautiful secret, I felt privileged to be part of this comfortable conversation. Leslie video conferenced Forest, a senior at Wake Forest University, to begin our time together. This family’s Hilton Head Island roots date back to both William Hilton and Charles Fraser, when in 1955, Leslie’s in-law’s purchased land that eventually became Coligny Plaza. More development followed, which helped grow and shape the island into what we enjoy today. That proud history lends itself well to this family’s love of tradition, where it’s woven into the very fabric of how they live. “When you follow your own traditions,” says Leslie, “you lay the roots down for your family. It becomes their very foundation.”

I visited these two lovely Southern ladies who happen to be mother and daughter. We met at Jenny Green’s beautiful waterfront condo on a Sunday afternoon. She is “91 and a half,” she admits, but you’d never know it. In just a few minutes, her daughter, Loretta “Bitty” Brant, let herself in and joined our conversation. Bitty looks so much like her high school graduation picture, which her mom has proudly displayed on a side table. She is a gorgeous blonde, with pretty eyes and a quick smile.

For 58 years Bitty’s Flower Shop was the only place people in Beaufort went for their wedding and funeral arrangements, and of course, everything in between. The two ladies created countless prom corsages, or “wearable flowers,” wrist corsages for proms and Marine Corps Balls. They provided the traditional red carnation corsages on Mother’s Day if your mother was still living, and the white ones if she had passed away. Churches would order trays of them.

Who is your favorite role model for fashion or the way she dresses?
Savannah Soutas (social media star, photographer and fashion blogger) because she is so pretty, funny and stylish.

What are three things you like most about your BFF?
I have a lot of BFF’s with a bunch of fun things about them, I don’t really know. They have to be fun and funny. That’s all.

There is beauty in the ocean’s movement, where the ebb follows the flow, and the back and fourth is an understanding—an experience, which is lovely to witness. Such was my time with Leslie Richardson and her daughter, Forest. Like an outsider, welcomed in on a beautiful secret, I felt privileged to be part of this comfortable conversation. Leslie video conferenced Forest, a senior at Wake Forest University, to begin our time together. This family’s Hilton Head Island roots date back to both William Hilton and Charles Fraser, when in 1955, Leslie’s in-law’s purchased land that eventually became Coligny Plaza. More development followed, which helped grow and shape the island into what we enjoy today. That proud history lends itself well to this family’s love of tradition, where it’s woven into the very fabric of how they live. “When you follow your own traditions,” says Leslie, “you lay the roots down for your family. It becomes their very foundation.”

There is beauty in the ocean’s movement, where the ebb follows the flow, and the back and fourth is an understanding—an experience, which is lovely to witness. Such was my time with Leslie Richardson and her daughter, Forest. Like an outsider, welcomed in on a beautiful secret, I felt privileged to be part of this comfortable conversation. Leslie video conferenced Forest, a senior at Wake Forest University, to begin our time together. This family’s Hilton Head Island roots date back to both William Hilton and Charles Fraser, when in 1955, Leslie’s in-law’s purchased land that eventually became Coligny Plaza. More development followed, which helped grow and shape the island into what we enjoy today. That proud history lends itself well to this family’s love of tradition, where it’s woven into the very fabric of how they live. “When you follow your own traditions,” says Leslie, “you lay the roots down for your family. It becomes their very foundation.”

When I caught up with Sandra Subaciene at Starbucks inside of Kroger on Hilton Head Island, she had walked over from her job behind the Chanel counter at Belk Department Store. Just back from Milan, Italy, where she met her daughter Justina, age 27, who is a fashion advisor in Dubai, for some time together, Sandra started telling me stories of her adventure in the fashion capital of the world during fashion week. “There were celebrities everywhere. Stores would close to allow a star to come shop in private for a few hours. We weren’t there for fashion week, but it was just everywhere,” she said.

When I first met Carla Raines two years ago, I was struck by her charismatic personality and enthusiasm for life. Her smile is contagious and her energy is unstoppable. Little did I know the mental, physical and emotional challenges that have woven through her life. It was her personal path of recovery from a life threatening illness that led Carla to her passion—fostering awareness and coordinating events to raise money for the American Heart Association (AHA) to provide education and research. As Development Director for the Southern Coast of the AHA, one of her roles is to produce two major events during the year, the annual Southern Coast Heart Ball each February and the Palmetto Heart Walk every April. In 2016 more than $22 million was allocated for research in South Carolina and Georgia.

As a teenager, Carla suffered from infrequent migraine headaches. As the years progressed, they became more regular and intense, despite normal medical intervention. She was referred to a neurologist in 2004 for a comprehensive workup. An MRI revealed an aneurysm in the middle of her cerebral artery. After consultations with several neurosurgeons, Carla reluctantly chose to undergo endovascular coiling to repair the defect.

British singer/songwriter Kate Bush wrote a song entitled “This Woman’s Work” back in 1988. Its lyrics, coupled with the singer’s petite, but powerful voice, tell the story of a woman in the midst of childbirth, and her partner’s racing thoughts and emotions while watching her. “Pray God you can cope…Now starts the craft of the Father,” she sings. What became clear to me, as I experienced the wonder of Sara Edwards, is this woman’s work gives God a tender hand during the most beautiful of miracles.

Hilton Head Island is now home to Sara and her boys: Sons Ahmad, 14, and Kuron, 11. Her mother, Barbara, also an island resident, helped encourage Sara to make the 500 mile move from Maryland to live in the beautiful Lowcountry and actively pursue her passions.

When I was in eighth grade at Patrick Henry Academy, Mrs. Lillian Solomons was the first teacher to show me the transformative power of words. But try as I might, eight hundred words just isn’t enough to express the years of joy that Mrs. Lillian Solomons has given to her church, family and community.

For those readers who aren’t blessed to know her, "Mrs. Lillian" is a retired English teacher. She’s the mother of three children and grandmother to five; she’s married to Algie Solomons, her elementary school sweetheart. She loves reading, cooking for friends and family, playing piano at church, and her two Boykin Spaniels, Stella and Sambo. You’d be hard pressed to find a woman who has lived a better life. Which is why it came as such a horrible shock to the town of Estill when, after letting her dogs out one night, Mrs. Lillian was shot by a burglar in her garage.

What is a compounding pharmacist?
A compounding pharmacist specializes in making customized medications to meet unique, individual needs. For example, we make special dosage forms such as dye free or corn free capsules for those with allergies, along with flavored suspensions or capsules for your pet. We also compound medications with specific dosages for individual patients, for example: Hormone replacement creams dosed specifically for you based on your labs, as well as topical pain creams formulated based on the cause of your pain and severity. We meet the needs of patients for medications that can’t be found in a retail pharmacy.

Andria Corral Bennett called me while driving through the New Mexico desert. Five nights before we spoke, she had finished her last shift at the hospital, showered and jumped in the car to start a 2,500-mile drive. She should have been exhausted, but instead she started talking about the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, her plan to visit four out of the mighty five Western national parks, and how indescribably gorgeous the Grand Canyon at sunset was. Her cell phone service suffered from interruptions, but she sounded more than happy to trade a shoddy connection and a little fatigue for the adventure and beauty of the American West.

Lace Cruze is a petite, well-toned woman of 48, with a cute blonde ponytail, who likes to wear skorts and flip-flops. She has a beautiful tan because she spends time outdoors each day with her favorite creatures, dogs, and usually black German Shepherds. She lives on Coosaw Island, at the very end of Lady’s Island, on a small peninsula surrounded by marsh and river on, appropriately named, Dog Creek Road.

Lalie Mole, pronounced “la lee” as in “lollipop,” always dreamed of being a mommy and singer, and she is kicking butt at both. From the time Lalie was 4 years old, she and her older sister, Pearl, would perform anytime their mom had friends over to play cards. “We’d sing ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love?’ by Frankie Lymon—remade by Diana Ross. I just remember their reaction was so dope.”

On July 8th, professional musicians from around the country will converge at St. Andrew By-The-Sea for a night of instrumental celebration and fanfare.

If you were to blend equal parts style, passion and charm, you would likely be making the acquaintance of Lucie Mann. These qualities lend themselves well to her lively and eclectic spirit. For 35 years, Lucie has called Hilton Head Island her home, and has loved it with a sense of community that extends to her many interests. Relationships are paramount to her: whether it be the relation between new friends, great food or her business clientele, genuine connection is essential. As I sit comfortably in her sunny living room, Annabelle, Lucie's 14-year-old Chihuahua climbs to the center of my lap and curls tightly. I am crazy happy right now, but I digress. Antoinette, a chocolate and white Hairless Chinese Crested pup, and Dexter, the lone feline, are watching close by. This space is as vibrant and colorful as Lucie herself. Vivid artwork hangs on the walls, many pieces by Steve Kauffman, a former apprentice of Andy Warhol. Marilyn Monroe, The Rat Pack and The Beatles fit the mood perfectly. In the hallway hangs a mesmerizing and life like oil painting of Jesus’ face, a generous gift from a family member. My eyes take me to a chalkboard in the center of the kitchen that reads, “I live in the throne room with Jesus.” Her faith lives here too.

Imagine creating something from a sewer pipe! No problem for inventive artist, Sheri Farbstein. Try jack hammering your fireplace and replacing it with one of your own creations—a wonderful challenge for visionary Sheri.

Marion Welsh used her math degree from Rutgers University to start her career in Information Technology, but she eventually changed her occupation from computer geek to full-time seamstress. She followed her passion and ended up working in bridal shops doing alterations. Her specialty was making gowns bigger. However, in 1984, something altered the direction of Marion’s sewing projects.

When Michelle McElroy relocated to Hilton Head Island seven years ago for a Social Studies teaching position at Hilton Head Christian Academy, little did she realize this was the perfect place for incubating her dream job. Michelle began her journey into the theater world as a hobby while she was in high school and college. First she began working with crews. She had a few minor parts in plays. Her first major role in high school was in Arsenic and Old Lace, and she vividly recalls her stage fright. During that time she and her dad performed in several community theater productions together. After graduation, wherever she taught, Michelle eagerly volunteered to assist with the school’s drama clubs. In her wildest dreams, she never imagined she would someday be directing huge shows. When she arrived at HHCA, Michelle first helped with middle school productions. She was soon put in charge of the middle school theater program and eventually assumed the role of director of the theater department, which has grown immensely under her guidance.

When Brittany Hiller was 14 years old she fell in love with the TV show Dharma & Greg. Already that fun-loving, free-spirited “hippie” girl in 10th grade, all Brittany needed was to marry a straight-laced guy and become a yoga instructor.  Back when yoga was just for hippies, and before yoga pants were a thing, her dance instructor used yoga as a warm up and cool down technique. After the first class, Brittany knew two things for sure: 1. She was hooked for life. 2. She wanted to teach.

I’ve always thought Pink should run a monthly “Badass Woman” feature. I mean I know we’re all pretty badass, but I love it when I meet a woman headed down to Biker Week on her Harley or a woman who’s running a five-minute mile or serving in the Marines, a woman who reminds me that I can be and do anything. That’s why I jumped at the chance to cover a story on Christel Valentino, a local body builder and all-around amazingly cool woman.

When life throws you a curve ball it’s time to put on your catcher’s mitt and wake up to new possibilities. That’s exactly what Melanie Ludwig did a few months ago when she made the decision to shed her comfortable and secure New Hampshire life and venture to Hilton Head Island. Leaving behind a lucrative career and a network of friends, she trusted that life had something even more to offer her.  Nudged by a recent divorce and long, cold winters, Melanie was drawn to the South for its milder year- round temperatures and to be closer to her daughter, Elizabeth, a student at Savannah College of Art and Design. She was lured to make Hilton Head Island her new home because it is shaped like a foot, and her dad was a podiatrist. Melanie learned from him at an early age the importance of the foot for every aspect of alignment and movement, which served her well in her younger years as a gymnast.