“The only true gift is a portion of thyself.”  —Ralph Waldo Emerson
When Carmen Phillips greeted me, she looked to be a teenager, rather than the mother of four with a wealth of mission work accomplished. Over afternoon tea and brownies, Carmen bubbled about their work and family adventures. It could take days to discover all she, her husband Dale and their four children have achieved in mission fields around the world.

What was your No. 1 New Years Resolution? Skip eating out and save the money I would spend eating out to travel more in 2017!

The first word that comes to mind upon meeting Laura Ludwick is “Alive!” A bundle of enthusiastic joy greeting every moment with unbridled optimism. Whether it’s her current assignment as a houseparent for exchange students at Hilton Head Prep or snuggling abandoned babies in orphanages all over the world. Laura’s brand of missionary work is about love and spreading the work of kindness everywhere she goes, and when Laura says everywhere, she’s not kidding! The list of countries she’s visited blankets the globe – 26 countries on four continents, so far.

Friendship is truly one of the great gifts bestowed upon us as human beings. Take a minute to think about your dearest, closest friends. Close your eyes and travel back to that special moment when you first met. Did you sit next to each other in algebra class? Did you get caught in a painfully slow line in the grocery store? Were you mixed up in a delicate discussion at a town meeting? Was the connection instantaneous or did it take a little time to warm up to each other? Isn’t it amazing how these meetings have led to the most wondrous, powerful friendships that have energized our lives?

Statistics were against them. But who cares about numbers when love is in the equation? Tom and Charlie Clark first met when they were 8 years old. “Close friendships between relatives led to summer visits between Texas, where Charlie’s family lived, and Wyoming, where I resided. Otherwise, we may never have met,” Tom said. What the young children did not know was, even then, God had a plan for them.

Highly skilled mediums are a rare find. Until the popularity of the television show Medium, most people were unaware of them. A medium is a person who can access messages from departed loved ones in the spirit world. We are extremely fortunate to have one of the best in the United States reside part-time in the Lowcountry. A trance medium since childhood, Dwanna Paul has been channeling messages of hope and healing from those who have departed to their families and loved ones.

How and when did your relationship begin? KATIE: We first met in kindergarten but neither of us remembers that far back. We found out when we came across a picture of us together with our teacher, Mrs. Edmonds and a get-well note Ryan’s mom saved that I had written when he was sick. After kindergarten, Ryan transferred to St. Francis Catholic School and I stayed at the public school. We didn’t meet again until the summer going into seventh grade. We both went with mutual friends to a church youth group weekend and I remember Ryan showed up in his baseball uniform and I thought he was so cute! I always tried to sit next to him, and of course, my best friends knew I had a huge crush on him so they helped set us up!

When Ashley Schaeffer was 23, she became pregnant with her first child, Micah. While she was experiencing all the wonders of pregnancy, the excitement, the sound of his heartbeat, the flutter of his movements, and the anticipation of his arrival, she was also mourning alongside close friends and family members who weren’t as fortunate, women who’d miscarried or were struggling with fertility issues. “They had to go on watching me carry a baby. It just broke my heart, like a physical ache inside of me, and I knew after the birth of my first child, I was supposed to be a surrogate. My heart breaks so much for people who can’t experience this. God gave me the gift to be able to do this, so if I could help someone carry a child, then I wanted to try.”

I arrive in the rain only to be greeted by a face wreathed in sunshine. Darlene Pitre of Ridgeland leads me to a conference room where a petite lady of indeterminate age sits waiting. Her bright smile belies the trials she has endured. Donnie Futch as it turns out is Darlene’s Mom, not her sister as many have assumed.

A year ago Hayley Dawson was crunching numbers for a major insurance claims company, and it wasn’t much fun. She drove a boring, long commute five days a week, and while she drove, she dreamed. She shared her dream of owning a fitness studio over sushi with a friend, and her friend replied, “Why don’t you?”

Christy Baroni

Hometown: Brandon, FL
Lives in: Paradise!
(aka: Hilton Head Island, SC)
Career: Faith-based Personal Trainer and
Fitness Coach

If you’re feeling the weary dread of winter, I’ve got the cure. Find out where Shuvette Colvin is singing for the evening. Listen to her powerful, silky smooth voice, and let the sound waves move you through the memories of Motown and the timeless classics of Blues and Jazz.

If the Hilton Head community could write a description of the perfect Yankee transplant, a picture of Carolee Hutton would emerge. A retired special education teacher from Westchester County, New York, she moved to the Island 11 years ago and immediately set out to make her mark supporting deserving community service efforts across many disciplines.

Giving back to our community means? This is such a passion of mine. It means being vigilant and observant to the community you are in, and filling needs where you see them in the best way you can. If we keep our eyes open and are willing to put ourselves out there, we can all make a real difference.

About a year ago I published my first novel, Sway of the Siren, with the intent of giving a portion of the proceeds to help preserve Gullah/ Geechee ancestral land. Unsure of how to go about doing so, I began researching, and discovered an organization called the Pan-African Family Empowerment and Land Preservation Network (PAFEN). That’s how I met PAFEN’s President, Theresa White.

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.