Her heart smiled through her eyes. She realized a dream and fulfilled a very special promise. Bubbly Jody Bennett Reichel greeted me with a hug in her lovely Spanish Wells home, where we settled on the sofa with rescue “Shady” close beside us. Filled with excitement over her first book, Still Before the Dawn, Jody noted, “It’s filled with Bible verses, inspirational poems and lovely artwork, my tribute to God and my Mama, Jan Bennett.”

Sissy Jarrell’s street is like so many others. Huge piles of debris and massive cut trees block the view of the house, but I spotted her number and rang the bell. She opened the door with a big smile and a wonderful whiff of simmering chili.

Beth Woods

Hometown: Hampton, S.C.
Lives in: Bluffton (25 years)

Photography by London Norton

My favorite thing to do in the Lowcountry: Go to festivals! It’s like a big outdoor party. I love being around people, tasting new food, breathing the fresh air, listening to music, running into old friends and making new friends! It really opens up all of your senses and makes for a happy, relaxing and enjoyable day!

Enza Leanza answers the door wearing a back brace from her neck to her chin. She explains with a vibrant smile, “I just had back surgery in July so now I only have to wear it for a few hours a day.” She undoes the straps and sets it on a chair, as she escorts me into a beautiful solarium overlooking the lagoon alive with plants of every sort. Her green thumb is on display in the healthy collection of African violets, orchids and a five-foot tall angel-wing begonia amidst many others. Enza explains proudly that the begonia was grown from a cutting that her mother brought from Sicily.

Frances Umlauf is as multi-layered as a sweet Vidalia onion. In spending time with her and peeling back a layer at a time, it just got sweeter and sweeter.  I thought I was going to visit her to talk about throwing fabulous parties, which she is famous for. What I found was one of the most intriguing, multi-talented, lighthearted and fun ladies I’ve ever met.

We have a double this month—our Charity Angel, Chris Wilcox, actually has volunteered and worked for an Angel Charity. We already have the definition of a Charity Angel—someone who gives unselfishly of themselves for the good of others. So, what is an Angel Charity? It is quite a rare designation. It means that according to very reliable ratings, a non-profit charity uses in the range of 10 percent on administrative or related costs. It also obviously means the reverse. For any dollar you give to an Angel Charity, in the range of 90 percent goes to actual client services. That is a huge honor and a much sought after designation. Our local Deep Well Project is such a charity!

Taylor Hughes
USA National Preteen 2016
7th Grader at
Sea Pines Montessori Academy
Family: Mom – Michele; Brother – Logan;
Dad/Girlfriend – Robbie & Kristen
Grandparents – Mike & Debbie Newton
Pets – Leyla, Lloyd, Levi and Laney

Donellia Chives’ logo for her business is a lavender butterfly, with the word NGOME on it. But look closer at the butterfly’s wings: they are silhouettes of two women, and transformation of women is what Donellia is all about.

It’s a more frequent trajectory than you might expect. Lowcountry artist makes it big in New York City, arguably the toughest art and design market in the world. It must be something about the natural beauty flowing through the soul of an artist like the tidal currents that fill up and nurture our beloved Lowcountry sea creatures.

Amanda L. Parks, MD

Director of Infection Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship at Hilton Head Hospital and Coastal Carolina Hospital; Infectious Disease Associates of the Lowcountry
Hometown: Johnson City, TN
Family: A dog, a cat, and
a Percheron (horse)

Born into a life as a healer, Charlotte White is a true Charity Angel and has been a gift to people too numerous to count. She has been a volunteer at Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) for quite a long time but as you will see, she offers much more than that.

Libby Ricardo

Assistant Professor of Theater University of South Carolina
at Beaufort
Hometown: Cranston, Rhode Island
Lives in: Bluffton, SC
What I do: Actor. Director. Teacher.

We never know which of our experiences will paint our lives a different color. Although we may not be able to change the major life events we will live through, the choices we make in between can make an important difference in our growth.

Lisette Cifaldi is a self-proclaimed professional dieter. Atkins, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, South Beach, Grapefruit, Cabbage Soup…you can’t name a diet she hasn’t tried. And, every single one of them worked—she lost weight. The only problem is she would gain it all back, plus some, when she stopped the diet plan. That was ten years ago. Since, she has landed on a different plan, lost 60 pounds and kept it all off.

The little girl grasped the book with wide-eyed wonder. Mesmerized by the words, she discovered an enchanting link with the world, which would quickly become a permanent entanglement. “I was always a voracious reader, and I’m so thankful God chose to give us words,” declared Lydia Inglett, CEO and Publisher of Lydia Inglett Publishing and Starbooks.biz. Although she is an award winning, national publisher of beautiful books on multiple topics, she never strayed from her Christian Southern roots, quietly reflected in her soothing demeanor. In her lovely home overlooking stunning marsh waters, we explored her journey from a shy childhood to successful executive. “I always wrote and painted. Art is another mainstay in my life, as I started lessons at age four. By age 14, I was trying to figure out a way to earn a living. My parents encouraged each of my interests, and my father repeatedly emphasized I could do anything I wanted if the desire was strong enough.”

Mary Anna Hanke is a snow-capped, twinkle-eyed, octogenarian dynamo.  She golfs two to three times a week, typically completing her usual nine holes in less than two hours.  Respectable indeed!  She has embraced a service oriented way of life since her youth and continues that commitment now with her support of the Adaptive Golf Experience program.  Individuals with challenges due to spinal chord injuries, stroke, TBI, or amputation are given the opportunity to learn the sport with the appropriate adaptations from a golf professional and physical therapist.  They experience the joy and satisfaction of bringing outdoor recreational activity back into their lives.  The clinics are held the third Saturday of every month from 9 to 11 a.m., are free and open to civilians, veterans, and active military at The Legends Golf Course at Parris Island.  The availability of high-tech adaptive devices, such as Ottobech Paragolfer, an Eagle Standup and a Solo-Rider, allow even those without the ability to stand to enjoy the sport.   The course maintains the adaptive equipment for use by the para-golfers whenever they choose to play a round.  The organization has full support from Beaufort Memorial Hospital Orthopedic and Rehabilitative Services departments, as well as the Marine Corps Community Services organization.  Mary Anna regularly plays at The Legends Course with golfers she has met at the clinics.  She smiles broadly, “I have one buddy who hits it farther with one arm than I can with two!  I am always so impressed by the participants’ abilities and so happy to be a part of helping them find their way to enhancing and expanding those abilities.”

Over 30 years ago a young woman in Massachusetts struggled with the lingering challenges of a violent abusive childhood. A friend gave her a panda costume informing her he was getting out of the “panda-gram” business. Three-dozen costumes later, she found herself running a successful singing telegram business. Little did she know that it would all lead to a career as a professional clown. Like so many comedic talents before her, she saw a way to take her pain and turn it into joy for her audience.

I spend almost every morning sitting on my back steps, drinking coffee and admiring my neighbor’s fence. It’s like a mini folk art gallery filled with colorful flowers (below) made from hubcaps and cookie tin lids, fish made from pieces of corrugated metal, painted windows, a creature made from discarded rakes and valentines, along with a plethora of other whimsical pieces. Most of it she makes herself, with a few exceptions. Each morning, I like to try to figure out if Ms. Molly has added anything new. People ride down our street just to check out her fence. They come on golf carts and bicycles and sometimes on foot.

Marjorie Gray got her inspiration from the dripping wet family dog, a black flat coat retriever. Watching him one day at a dock on the Beaufort River gave her an “aha” moment. From her website she writes: “I sat and watched my dog, River, launch himself into the water over and over with his ears back, tail wagging and tongue flying. With each splash, he turned and swam back so he could jump again, so excited to continue his celebration. His enthusiasm was inspiring; the simplicity was magic. That day on the dock I was reminded of what my mother always said: ‘Dogs have so many lessons to teach.’”

Artists are instruments of inspiration and passion. For some, the creative juices fire up because of the focus on past events, dreams, vision, concrete stuff or abstract ideas. Diane Britton Dunham is inspired by her research and understanding of her family genealogy. Her mother’s Louisiana Creole and father’s South Carolina Gullah lineage crossed paths when the sons of Carolina landowners brought their rice growing skills to the Deep South. Diane spent several years studying the commonality woven between the culture of the isolated coastal Gullah communities and the widespread Creole populations. The end results are vibrant and vivid paintings telling a story of Diane’s diversified, yet, homogenous roots.

Katie Howell is a petite blonde with light green eyes and a warm smile that conveys both high energy and serenity at the same time. Katie takes the term ‘active lifestyle’ to a whole new level! This busy mother of two daughters under the age of three works part time on the nursing staff at Beaufort Memorial Hospital and has just opened a new business—Beaufort Running Tour.

Blue eyes glistened with unshed tears. Conversation momentarily halted, as Laura Kinsey struggled to express the emotions surrounding her packed daily schedule with Heroes on Horseback. She glanced down and then with renewed enthusiasm, “With all my years of riding and training horses, I never did therapeutic work before 2007 when I started with Heroes on Horseback. I am blown away by what it does!”

Michelle Gibbons is a vibrant young woman with a mission. As a personal trainer, she works with clients to design individualized goals in fitness, such as lifting more weight for strength (as in grandchildren), increasing lean muscle (not just losing weight), and improving daily functions, like balance and energy. She is enthusiastic about working with her students as individuals, each at different ages and stages. She accepts them as they are, and works as a cheerleader and coach to help them get to where they want to be.

Not married, but in a very committed relationship with an incredible man, Tim Lovett, and his two incredible children, Olivia and Henry. Oh, and I can’t forget about Hobie, our dachshund mix.

I love being a part of: A team! Whether it’s my “work team” or my “home team,” nothing is quite as fulfilling as knowing the part I play is very important, but my contribution is much less meaningful if my teammates aren’t working to the best of their ability! Being part of a great team pushes me to work harder and better.

My Dearest Friends-I have been writing this column for quite a while now and it has been my pleasure and privilege to meet so many wonderful women. It has also been my pleasure to honor these women and the organizations to which they belong and the causes they serve. Sure, it is simple to find the president or the winner of the Volunteer of the Year award for an organization. It is not so easy to find those who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Those unheralded angels who never make PINK or anything else and don’t really mind. I know many and I am sure you do to.

Charity Angels come in singles, doubles and yes, I have even written about a trio of them. In this case, however, I must give credit to quite a large group. This group of angels, simply called the Gala Committee, is head by longtime leaders Stan and Margie Smith. The group has both men and women from virtually every part of the Island and from a variety of professions; there’s a judge, a realtor, an interior designer, a Canadian snowbird, a tennis buff and many more, all working for the same heartfelt cause.

Charity Angels are alive and well, not just here in the Lowcountry, but also in spots around the world that you might never imagine. This is the story of 20 angels, who traveled to Haiti at their own expense, paying for or soliciting their own supplies and equipment and bonding together in ways they never dreamed possible. The team was composed of doctors, nurses, teachers and committed volunteers, all willing to put themselves on the line to do whatever tasks needed to be done. What a band of angels.

What I do: Design your favorite magazine each month!

What I love about what I do: My amazing team and I begin with nothing on day one and by day 30 we have tangible proof of our hard work each month. And… there is not much I love more than a well-designed page!

Dr. Cynthia Hayes (or Mama Cyn as she is called by some) grew up on a farm in Greeleyville, S.C.  She, her three sisters and her brother all shared one bedroom. The whole family would wake up at 4:00 a.m. and head out into the fields to pick cotton, using the headlights from the truck to be able to see. They worked until it was time to get cleaned up and go to school. I asked her if they were in bed by 6:00 p.m. She laughed, “We were still in the fields working. We worked from sun up ‘til sun down when we weren’t in school.” She recalls how they lived off the land, hunting, canning vegetables and taking hogs to the market for slaughter. They did not have running water or a bathroom in the house until she was in 6th grade. Once her grandmother came to live with them, her parents moved their bed into the living room. “We were poor, but I didn’t know the difference. It was a lot of hard work, but we had fun together. We were close.”