Elizabeth Greene
One from the Heart
My mom used to say that if you wanted something done, you should ask a truly busy person. Elizabeth Greene is one of the busiest people I know, yet one of the most successful and generous. Here's a glimpse of her daily life, a juggling act that includes family, a feisty dog, a fulltime job and many charitable contributions to her church.
Q: Can you share what you do in an ordinary day, start to finish?
A: My day begins by waking my 16-year-old daughter-at least three times! Then I walk/chase my dog, Jazz. He is a large boxer, so this is not an easy task. He walks me most of the time. I feed him, feed everybody else, pull myself together, drive my daughter to school then myself to work. I work a full day, go back to pick up my daughter, and walk/chase the dog again. He likes the beach for his afternoon walk. Once home, I have commitments about three nights a week and usually get home about 8:00. Once home, it's dinner, read a little, some TV, then off to bed. That is about as close as I can come to typical!
Q: You have quite a large extended family. Do you all relate to one another?
A: We do have a large, blended family and, believe it or not, we all get along very well. There is my wonderful husband Hamp, my daughter, Victoria, a stepson, Will who lives in Charlotte, a stepdaughter, Betsy and her husband, and a precious granddaughter, Gracie. They are in Kentucky. I have a sister named Ericha and three other siblings, Kurt, Kris, and Amie. My inspiration is always my mother, Susan. We are very close.
Q: You have busy mornings and evenings at home, but what about work?
A: I am employed by the Fraser Construction Company in Bluffton. They are general commercial contractors and they have built many beautiful community and resort amenities, multi-family residential communities, and office buildings all over the southeast for over two decades. I am marketing manager, and I do a variety of tasks from maintaining the Web site to handling sponsorships and creating marketing materials. I have a wonderful support system at Fraser and that is simply unbeatable. I love my job.
Q: What else fills your busy days?
A: I am a deacon at First Presbyterian Church, and that is really my second home. I belong to many committees and groups because I have a hard time saying no, but what is really dear to my heart is our Bahati Mission Scholars program. They are a group of rescued "street boys" who were taken off the streets and provided food and shelter by the Bahati Martyrs Presbyterian Church in Nairobi, Kenya. My family and I have sponsored a young man of 17 named Samuel, and we have regular correspondence with him. Also, I was able to work with our Mission Ministry to have 142,000 rice-soy vitamin- and nutrient-fortified meals sent to the Bahati Center to feed the children. This will last for nearly two years.
Q: Speaking of food, are there any special dishes your family likes?
A: Feeding my family is almost another job in itself. My daughter is a vegetarian and Hamp is a meat and potatoes guy. I love to cook, but at times it is a little challenging. We eat lots of pasta dishes!
I have found that many busy people have one thing in common-a positive attitude. Elizabeth is no exception. She thinks life is a beautiful journey with many people to care about and many adventures to enjoy. "Life has challenges and heartaches," she said, "but knowing that I have God and my family to support me gives me a daily zest for life."