“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”
- Mother Teresa
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After all those months of COVID isolation it was wonderful getting 58 women together for our Fall Luncheon at the Country Club of Hilton Head. Blue hydrangeas & Wedgewood blue napkins topped with a beautiful white rose, a gift from Elizabeth, our chair, enhanced the setting in The Magnolia Room.
During the social hour, members enjoyed Jazz Sounds by Erez Desse.
Elizabeth welcomed everyone, and Lesley Gilbert, vice chair provided a WIP financial update. WIP member Reverend Pam Fahrner gave the blessing, and after a delicious lunch, our speakers were Scott Wierman, CEO of Community Foundation of the Lowcountry and Kristin Dubrowski, CEO of Hopeful Horizons. Truly, the WIP welcome back we all needed after 2020!
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"Elizabeth, I thought the luncheon today was a success. The setting was great. The food was delicious. The program was tight. Thank you for the roses." - Janet |
"Congratulations on a wonderful event yesterday, and I was honored to be able to offer a brief welcome. Thank you for including me." - Scott Wierman |
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"It was a lovely luncheon, and it was sweet of you to give everyone a thank you rose. It was appreciated by the members at our table." - Jean |
"Was thrilled to learn about Juliann’s huge gift! I served on the grants committee when she was chair, and on the board with her for several years. She was a treasure!" - Susan |
"The luncheon was a great success and we heard from several ladies that they enjoyed the event and, especially, being back together in person again! Congratulations on a great luncheon!" - Jennifer |
Photos:
1. It was a full house for the Fall Luncheon! 2. Elizabeth Loda, WIP chair, shared updates; 3. Scott Wierman provided words from Community Foundation of the Lowcountry; 4. Kristin, Dubrowski, CEO of Hopeful Horizons, gave a presentation on the impact of COVID-19 on women and children in Lowcountry; 5. Many founding members were in attendance; 6. Sharing our vision and mission with all who entered the venue.
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The Dr. Juliann Bluitt Foster Memorial Fund |
Two years ago we lost a longtime member, Dr. Juliann Bluitt Foster. Juliann was an active member from 2007 until her death, and was a valued member of the grants committee, serving several years as chair.
Women in Philanthropy was both thrilled and humbled to learn that Juliann left a very significant bequest to WIP. Each year going forward, the grants committee will have the privilege and responsibility of recommending one or more grants from the yearly trust spendable distribution.
The Dr. Juliann Bluitt Foster Trust was initially in the amount of $400,000 and has now grown to $481,000. The amount of the first Dr. Juliann Bluitt Foster Memorial Fund Award in 2022 is $19,625.31. These funds will remain separate from WIP endowment or operations funds.
This is an enormously generous bequest and speaks volumes regarding Dr. Foster’s regard for our organization. If you were not present at the Fall Luncheon, you missed Jean Henderson’s review of Juliann’s personal and professional side. Read the highlights of Jean's review here.
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Behind-the-Scenes Tour and Reception at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina |
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The reviews are in, and it was a hit!
On October 25, our WIP members were treated to a “behind the scenes” tour at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. The super fun and informative tour took us up and down all the floors, and in and out of education spaces, the show's practice room, and prop, costume, and set areas.
Since members had either been to or were planning to go to Kinky Boots, that added to the joy of it all. We shared the magic on the stage and backstage.
Following the tour, the Arts Center hosted a delightful reception as a thank you for our generous grants over the years, totaling $35,000.
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Photos:
1. We received a warm welcome from the Art's Center! 2. Education Director, Alaina Adams, was our behind-the-scenes guide; 3. We got to see the costume workshop; 4. We got to see costumes, too! These are bustiers from Kinky Boots
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The Key to Preparing for the Unexpected - Becoming Organized |
Our presentation covered the importance of organizing personal documents for the unexpected, and the sorting through and donating of our life possessions. The "key" is to make difficult times in our lives easier.
It was a lovely group of WIP members, and we were able to share ideas, experiences and laughter.
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Introducing Our New Grants Chair |
Mary Stuart Alderman moved to the island in 2003 from Charlotte, N.C., where she was an active community volunteer for over 25 years. Her volunteer commitments included service as president of the Junior League of Charlotte, PTA president of her children’s schools, secretary of the Rotary Club of Charlotte, and board member of Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, Arts and Science Council, Charlotte Emergency Housing, as well as the Foundation for the Carolinas’ “Leave a Legacy” steering committee.
She was also the founding director of A Child’s Place (a school for homeless children in Charlotte) and served as development director for Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, executive director of Mecklenburg Ministries and office manager for Rinehart and Associates, a wealth management firm in Charlotte.
After moving to the island, Mary Stuart worked at Curry Printing for a year prior to joining the staff of Community Foundation of the Lowcountry as donor services associate, where she worked with donors to implement their charitable giving goals, until her retirement in 2010.
She is now an active member of First Presbyterian Church and the Rotary Club of Hilton Head Island. She is a founding member of Women in Philanthropy and has served on the grants committee at three different times since 2006. She is vice chair of the Deep Well board of directors and past chair of the SC Lowcountry Sustainers of the Junior League of Savannah and of the Mayor’s Honored Islander Selection Committee.
Mary Stuart grew up in Winston-Salem, N.C., and received a BA degree magna cum laude from Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C., with a double major in math and religion. She is the proud mother of three grown children and five grandchildren, all of whom live in North Carolina. Mary Stuart and her husband Jack live in HHP at the north end of the island.
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Socks, Socks 'n' More Socks! |
Thank you to all who donated warm new socks for cold feet. A grand total of 928 pairs were donated! That's more than twice the number collected last year! The WIP advisory board decided to give this year’s collection to Deep Well, as last year, and to Sandalwood. However, there were so many socks we had enough to send 228 pairs to Bluffton Self Help!
2021 Final Sock Count and Destinations:
- Bluffton Self Help: 49 Men’s, 47 Women's, 132 Children's
- Deep Well and Sandalwood each: 150 Men’s, 150 Women's, 50 Children's
"This project yields warm feet, and my heart is warmed too." - Elizabeth, WIP Chair
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Photos:
1. Lisa Hodge (back, center), WIP's Community Foundation liaison, presents the collected socks to the WIP advisory board; 2. Elizabeth Loda, WIP Chair, surrounded by the generous donations of WIP members; 3. Elizabeth transferring some of the donations to Sandy Gillis of The Deep Well Project.
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Please remember Women in Philanthropy when you update your wills and estate planning documents. |
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Women in Philanthropy is a Fund of
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