SERVING WITH SOUL By Christina Sinisi with Dianne Miley Christina Sinisi writes stories about families, both the broken and blessed. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, her works include a semi-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest and the American Title IV Contest in which she appeared in the top ten in the Romantic Times magazine. Her published books include The Christmas Confusion and the upcoming Sweet Summer, the first two books in the Summer Creek Series, and Christmas On Ocracoke. By day, she is a psychology professor and lives in the Lowcountry of South Carolina with her husband and two children, and cat, Chessie Mae. This article is first a testament to one woman’s vision and many individuals’ hard work. There is much still to be done, but a start is a very good thing. A decade ago, Dianne Miley and I attended a Romance Writers of America conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Dianne told me then of her long-held dream of a tearoom where pregnant women at-risk for homelessness could work and live (in an attached maternity home). That dream is still far off in the future, but God showed her other, more practical ways of accomplishing the underlying goal of helping those who need help among the most. Her first step toward this goal was to volunteer and then work at the LowCountry Pregnancy Center (LPC). Years before, I had written the parenting curriculum for their Ready to Parent classes. I also have walked annually at their Walk 4 Life and attended their yearly banquet to raise funds for their programs. Working as a receptionist allowed Dianne to learn about the non-profit world. It was all hands-on deck when the agency prepared for the banquet, and she learned about marketing and advertising in the non-profit world. She also made contacts and saw the behind-thescenes operations of fundraising and applying for grants. In 2018, she created SOUL and LPC allowed her to use their facilities to hold SOUL Sisters meetings. These meetings involve Bible studies and lessons on how to budget, how to respect one’s own boundaries, and other relationship advice. A free meal is provided. Most importantly, the clients—and volunteers—form close, caring relationships. 46 | M AG A Z I N E N A M E PAGE 3 45
In 2019, because the LowCountry Pregnancy Center is located off a very busy road, especially at rush hour, which affects clients’ ability to attend meetings, the SOUL sisters’ meetings switched to a location in North Charleston, called the Dream Center. The Dream Center is an offshoot of a large local church’s outreach. This location has proven to be perfect and allowed for childcare in a separate room while mothers learn and fellowship. Another goal of SOUL has been rental assistance for mothers-to-be. One client had been in the local homeless shelter and then ran out of time allotted to stay. SOUL helped another woman show her artwork and gave her the proceedings to allow her to find housing. Dianne even watched the children of one mother while she was in labor because she had no one else. In 2020, SOUL, like the rest of the world, found our activities curtailed. Meetings were not held. The annual tea was held virtually—not the same. Through generous benefactors, our fundraising did not suffer, but the connection to the community and our ability to reach women in need was lessened. My role has been very much that of support, and this year I stepped down from the board. My own life has become so busy that I didn’t feel able to do everything. God seemed to lead me more and more to focus on my writing.
