Jenny Haney

Paying it Forward

It was in 2004 that Jenny Haney's sister, Ellie, asked her what she was doing with her life. Ellie had been battling Leukemia and perhaps her view of the world had changed a little. When Jenny honestly answered, "I'm going to the beach a lot and working out," Ellie responded with words that would not only stay with Jenny forever, but would become the driving force behind her life. "She told me I needed to give back. I needed to do more and help people. I took this to heart and began volunteering at Bluffton Self Help," explained Jenny.

Through her volunteer work, Jenny eventually became the Executive Director of the agency. She has been a part of Bluffton Self Help's (BSH) growth, which now helps more than 700 people annually with financial needs and close to 22,000 others with food, clothing and Christmas gifts. A perfect job where giving back is basically in the job description, as Executive Director, Jenny and the BSH volunteers have seen many hardships right here in the Lowcountry. "There are people living in their cars and there is not a homeless shelter in Beaufort County. One older couple came to us for help. We could put them in a hotel for a week, but what are they going to do after that?" Jenny said with a heavy heart.

Fortunately, Bluffton Self Help is making a difference in many Lowcountry residents' lives, both large and small. Recently, a young mother came home after delivering her baby prematurely and spending an extensive amount of time in the Ronald McDonald House, right across from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where her preemie fought for survival in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. While most mothers would be ecstatic to finally be home with their bundle of joy, this mother arrived home to the immanent threats of her electricity being turned off. The situation was grave as the baby needed oxygen and a heart monitor for its safety, both electrical devices. It was only with the diligent work and immediate aid of Bluffton Self Help that this mother was able to keep her electricity on.

While most would be given out, Jenny doesn't hang up her heart at the end of the day like Mr. Rogers hangs up his sweater at the end of his show. Giving back has become a way of life for Jenny. In fact, making a difference is what she desires most. "I don't have a lot of things or any children of my own, but I was given the tools and I want to be able to help people," Jenny said sincerely.

Although she continues to look towards doing great things in the future, it is a single act of love in her past that was the changing point in her life; an act that required going a distance much farther than many of us will ever experience. A few years ago Ellie came out of remission. Her only chance of survival was a bone-marrow transplant. With two sisters being a perfect match, it was Jenny, who is terrified of needles, that went through the procedure. "It was such an honor to be able to give that gift to my sister. It was painful, but most things that count are," Jenny recounted.
Ellie eventually lost her battle to Leukemia, but that bone-marrow transplant bridged a gap between the two sisters that no one will ever be able to put asunder. "I still have a picture on my mantle of her in the hospital, hooked up to the line that fed my bone-marrow into her body. What a gift she gave me."

So often we think of people only in the light in which we interact with them and forget to realize that we are all multi-dimensional. Imagine the person sitting next to Jenny on the airplane as she flew out the very next morning from Johns Hopkins Hospital after donating her marrow. Did that person know what she'd been through? Did that person know she was capable of such a selfless act of love? Did that person know that Jenny is the real deal? Probably not, and maybe Jenny didn't either, but there is no doubt that there are thousands of people in Bluffton, South Carolina who know it for sure.

Up Close:

Hometown:
Pittsburgh, PA
Lived on Hilton Head: Since 1981
Favorite Companion: Pollyanna, a big yellow dog from the Shelter
Previous Career: Hotel Industry - 10 years at Marriott
Most Surprising: "I've never had a cup of coffee.ever!"
Unique Family Fact: Jenny and her three sisters' first names are all Mary.
Shocked that She's: 60-years-old. "59 sounded so
much better!"
Best Advice: "Be grateful and pay it forward! It's so important."
Look for: Bluffton Self Help to grow. They are building a new facility and need your donations! 843-757-8000