January – National Blood Donation Month

WAHHI Difference Makers & The Deep Well Project: Final Numbers Are In!

Season of Thanks & Giving 2025 Wrap-Up Report

Throughout the past month, WAHHI Difference Makers partnered with The Deep Well Project to support families across Hilton Head Island during our Season of Thanks & Giving—and the results are truly inspiring.

Our volunteers and members showed remarkable generosity, compassion and community spirit. Here’s what we accomplished together:

Thanksgiving Meal Deliveries

• 21 WAHHI volunteers

• 10 cars/drivers hitting the road across the island

• 35 families served—approximately 123 individuals nourished this holiday season

Volunteers not only delivered meals, but also delivered kindness—strengthening community connections and ensuring families felt seen and supported.

Gift Cards for Teens Teens are often the most overlooked during holiday giving efforts—but not this year.

• 100 Walmart gift cards collected $2,500 in value donated

• 89 local teens currently registered to benefit through the Santa Shop

Thanks to WAHHI members, more teens will be able to choose gifts that make them feel confident and cared for.

Grocery Support for the Food Pantry

Community giving flowed in through Amazon deliveries and in-person drop-offs—and the impact is massive.

• 3,000 pounds of groceries collected

• Estimated value: $5,460

• Enough to feed close to 100 people for a full week

This extraordinary effort helps ensure ongoing food security for families right here on Hilton Head Island.

Together, We Made a Difference

This month-long initiative shows what can happen when passionate women come together with purpose. Every delivery, every donation and every hour of service reflect the heart of WAHHI.

Thank you to every member who contributed—you made a real and lasting difference in the lives of local families.

Wishing you all a warm, joyful and healthy holiday season.

Here’s to a wonderful 2026 filled with even more opportunities to uplift our community!

WAHHI Difference Makers Double Their Goal to Support Local Teens at Deep Well’s Santa Shop

In the true spirit of the season, the WAHHI Difference Makers have once again gone above and beyond for our community. Partnering with The Deep Well Project, our team set out to collect 50 Walmart gift cards, each valued at $25, to support an important group often overlooked during the holidays — teenagers.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our members, volunteers, and supporters, that goal didn’t just get reached…it was doubled! We are thrilled to share that 100 gift cards were donated — a whopping show of love for local families in need. These cards will allow parents and guardians visiting Deep Well’s Annual Santa Shop to choose meaningful gifts that will bring joy, dignity, and excitement to their teenage children. Teens can sometimes feel forgotten during holiday giving efforts, but not this year — not on our watch! In this Season of Thanks & Giving, we couldn’t be more grateful.

Each contribution represents kindness, empowerment, and hope. We are certain that the families “shopping” at the Santa Shop will feel the overwhelming support of this community and leave with full hearts.

To every Difference Maker who donated, spread the word, or helped lift up this initiative — thank you! Together we didn’t just meet a goal — we knocked it out of the park. A special thank you to Cindy Reedy who took charge of the money collection and shopped for and delivered the cards—and gets photo credit for the WAHHI gift card display, as well!

100 Walmart Gift Cards spell out WAHHI.

Difference Makers Chair, Kassie Stewart (R) and WAHHI Gift Card “Elf,” Cindy Reedy (L) pictured with Deep Well Project’s Executive Director, Sandy Gillis, and Volunteer Coordinator, Lori Alexander as they deliver the 100 Walmart Gift Cards to Deep Well on December 1st.

WAHHI Members Deliver Thanksgiving Meals Across the Island

On the afternoon of Sunday, November 23, WAHHI members came together to serve our community in a meaningful and heartfelt way. Through the Difference Makers Committee and our continued partnership with the Deep Well Project, volunteers delivered Thanksgiving meals to families in need across Hilton Head Island.

This very special annual event gave members the opportunity to visit neighborhoods that may have been new to them—reminding us that even within our beautiful island, the need for food assistance is real and ongoing. By showing up with warmth, kindness, and a ready spirit of service, our volunteers helped ensure that more families could enjoy a holiday meal and feel the support of their community. The meal delivery capped off a month dedicated to thanks and giving, and we could not be more appreciative of the generosity our members have shown.

Your involvement strengthens our partnership with Deep Well and reflects the heart of WAHHI—women making a difference together, one act of service at a time.

Thank you to our volunteers! Your time, compassion, and commitment continue to make an impact where it matters most.

Difference Makers Chair, Kassie Stewart and VP of Community Outreach, Faith Boettger at the Difference Makers and FunRaising Funds Interest Group Table at the WAHHI Signature Event on September 16th 2025.

Community Spotlight Alert:
Last week, Kassie Stewart and several ambassadors from the WAHHI Difference Makers pulled up to The Market with cars packed to the brim with school snacks collected for our 10 Bluffton public schools.
And that was just the beginning, as several shelves-worth of Amazon Wish List donations (not pictured) were also purchased and shipped to The Market by WAHHI’s generous members.
These individually packaged snacks will soon stock each school’s “snack closet,” helping our youngest Lowcountry neighbors stay focused and energized throughout the day. Even more, the snacks serve as a powerful reminder that our students are surrounded by a community that cares deeply about their well-being.
Together, we’re making a difference—one snack, one student, one act of kindness at a time. To learn more about how to support neighbors in need, visit us at https://blufftonselfhelp.org/get…/hunger-action-month/.

The WAHHI Difference Makers and Community Outreach leaders, Kassie Stewart and Faith Boettger were thrilled to be a part of the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Pockets Full of Sunshine location at 64 Arrow Road on September 14th, 2025. We cannot wait to partner with Pockets and the Rays in 2026!!

During Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, more than 44 WAHHI Difference Makers came together with purpose and heart to support Hopeful Horizons and their Furnish a Future program. Together, we built kitchen, bathroom, and welcome kits for survivors of domestic abuse who will soon be moving into their new homes.