Giving is not about making a donation. It’s about making a difference. And there is an amazing group of 58 Sun City women doing just that!
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GFWC Woman’s League of the Lowcountry is a service-oriented Sun City group that spearheads a variety of volunteer activities during the year to benefit causes throughout the Lowcountry. The group currently has plans for an April 4 barbecue at the Pavilion, which will be a fundraiser for Doors to Freedom, the only licensed residential facility for minor female survivors of sex trafficking in South Carolina. Girls 12 to 21 years of age are provided a safe environment and are given hope and a chance at a future.
“Our philosophy, ‘Living the Volunteer Spirit,’ promotes community improvement through volunteer service” said Alane Peragallo, the group’s current president.
This latest event is only a small piece of what the group does throughout the year. GFWC annually sponsors a National Day of Service. This year, the theme was “food insecurity” with clubs from around the country participating. The Lowcountry group donated fruit and gift cards for clients of Mercy Mission in Hardeeville.
During the holidays, the group hosts their annual Day of Giving, a well-at-
LOWCOUNTRY CONT. ON PAGE 8SCS
Answers to the REBUS from Larry Stoller’s Real Estate column last issue are: (left to right from the top) house in foreclosure; dual agency; low offer; price too high; cloud on title; discount points; counter offer; house in need of repairs; short sale; full price offer; split level; money in escrow; growing economy; down payment;
Agent Right” real estate book.
CORRECTION:
In the last issue of the Sun City Sun the item on page 2 should have read: Retired U.S. Navy Senior Chief and Past Commander Gwyneth Saunders of the Sun City Veterans Association received the Commander’s Award for her dedication to the SCVA from Commander David R. Davis at the Jan. 15 meeting.
The Travel Club of Sun City Hilton Head’s recent International Fare not only allowed members and their guests to taste foods from Asia, France, Italy, Spain, and Greece but also offered insights and inspiration for future travels to these destinations. This was made possible by club members who shared their travel experiences.
Dianne Brooks, who in January was elected the 1,200-member club’s president, regarded the February 22 event at Sun City’s Pinckney Hall, attended by approximately 180 guests, as a tremendous success. She mentioned that attendees provided positive feedback, highlighting the sense of community, the valuable information gathered about the destinations, and the exquisite dinner that showcased dishes from the featured countries. The culinary delights were crafted by Certified Chef Johannes Zachbauer of Austria, now a resident of Sun City and member of the club who also serves on the social committee. Additionally, Sun City’s own Susan Staten entertained the audience with accordion music, accompanied by a slideshow of five hundred photographs depicting scenic highlights from the various countries. Three travel advisor members hosted each table, some having lived in the highlighted countries, offering expert advice on
tourism, and creating unforgettable journeys. Elected in January and a three-year member of the club, Brooks explained that “passports” were issued to attendees for stamps from each country, which were then entered into a suitcase for a chance to win door prizes. This facilitated networking, allowing members to exchange travel tips and stories.
The club features two Special Interest Groups (SIGs). The first, tailored for solo travelers—including those with non-traveling spouses—aims to foster camaraderie and potential travel partnerships among its members, led by co-chairs Ann Morgan and Karen Ovesney. The second, “WEGO” (Whatever’s Going On), managed by Joan Morris, curates a comprehensive monthly lineup of local events in Hilton Head, Beaufort, Bluffton, and Savannah.
Brooks clarified that although the club does not manage travel bookings directly, it collaborates with external travel agencies, highlighted in their newsletter and website. A recent collaboration led to a booking for two busloads of members to attend the Tina Turner Concert in Jacksonville, Florida, on March 9. Additionally, the club has reserved 16 cabins with Princess Cruises for a New England Canadian Cruise departing on September 17, and is planning a National Parks land tour for 2025.
When competing with other buyers for the house of your dreams, there are many ways to strengthen an offer to buy a property besides the purchase price.
Even if you are the only buyer, most sellers will appreciate (and might also favor) your offer under certain circumstances.
• Direct your agent to present your offer in person. While this doesn’t happen much, every once in a while, the buyer’s agent will deliver the offer to the listing agent in person. The buyer’s agent might even tell the listing agent a little about the buyer, or include a letter that introduces
the buyer and why the buyer loves the home.
• Make sure your offer is complete. Include all required addendums, amendments, so that the sellers are able to see all the strengths of your offer.
• Include a pre-approval letter or proof of funds. If you are obtaining a loan, a strong pre-approval letter will give you a competitive edge. If your offer is for cash, proof of funds is a must.
• Don’t ask for inclusions or seller concessions. If there are multiple offers, think twice about asking for personal property, especially if the sellers are excluding certain items. If you do ask for seller concessions, strengthen everything else in your offer.
• Inspect or not inspect. Waving an inspection might strengthen your offer. This might be a reasonable risk if the home is newer construction. Another option is to
Bluffton Sun: I see that you are running a Spring & Summer Real Estate Sale. What’s included in that Sale?
Larry Stoller: During our Sale, you can Sell Your Home For 4% Or Less with our negotiable variable commission rates. That includes full brokerage services and enhanced marketing designed to sell your home faster and for a higher price.
Bluffton Sun: What kind of enhanced marketing do you offer to your Home Sellers?
Valerie Shreckengost: Our enhanced marketing includes: professional photography, compelling captions, exclusive property websites, property videos, home warranty options, staging assistance and much more.
BSun: You mention “negotiable variable commission rates”. What does that mean?
LS: All commission rates are negotiable. But our “ON SALE” variable commission rates (4%, 2%, 1%) are designed to help you keep more of your proceeds.
view the home a second time and bring an inspector with you to check things out (with the seller’s permission) while your agent is writing up the offer.
• Earnest Money. The more earnest money you put down, the better your offer will look to the seller. Since earnest
BSun: Don’t all real estate companies use professional photography services?
VS: Most do, but we utilize both still and aerial photos when advantageous. We also attach informative captions to all of our photos which emphasize special home features that add value to your home.
BSun: What do you mean by the statement “BIG ON SAVINGS, SERVICE & RESULTS?”
LS: As a small real estate company, with less overhead and enhanced marketing, we are able to offer reduced commissions and innovative solutions that get the homes we list sold.
BSun: Do you also work with home buyers?
VS: Yes, we do. In fact, we have been very successful in finding homes for our home buyer clients that were not even listed for sale.
money is applied to the buyer’s funds to purchase the property, it makes sense to get the sellers attention by increasing the earnest money.
• Fast and/or flexible closing and possession. In most cases, the buyer will have a negotiating advantage when closing sooner than later and being flexible on possession based upon the seller’s needs.
• Make it a cash offer. While this is not possible for many buyers, a cash offer will almost always be preferable to an offer that requires getting a mortgage. A cash offer is quick, uncomplicated and there are no appraisal problems or lender issues.
Larry Stoller is a local Broker and Realtor with Real Estate FIVE of the Low Country. He sells homes throughout the Bluffton and Hilton Head area. Larry@ RealEstateFive.com, www.RealEstateFive. com.
BSun: You mention “exclusive property websites.” Can you explain what they are?
LS: Yes, I can. They are websites whose URL is the same as your home’s address. They work 24/7 to promote your property. An actual example from one of our Sun City listings is: www.1119RivergrassLane.com.
BSun: What is the one of the biggest challenges that home sellers face today? How resolved?
VS: “Where do I go after I sell my home”, is one of the biggest challenges that home sellers have today. We have used flexible closing dates and leaseback agreements that allow our sellers enough time to find a new home.
BSun: Anything else you’d like to share? Visit our website to see all we do for you!
If any of you have followed me over the years you have come to realize that cooking is not my expertise. I don’t like to cook, I never liked to cook and I will go to my grave still hating that one room in my house called a KITCHEN!
I spent years drinking a product called Weight On. I was so thin, the majority of my life, that in order to keep what little meat I had, on my bones, I had to supplement. So I’ve come to the conclusion that skinny women don’t necessarily have an interest in food, they may have no interest in preparing it. Thereby, we avoid entering that room. My grandmother was like Betty Crocker. My mother followed suit, as have both of our daughters. But that gene totally skipped me.
Here’s a story that will show you what I mean. We invited my mother-in-law over for Thanksgiving dinner the year we were building a new home. I wanted to impress
her with how perfectly I had this “housewife” role down and show off my talent at preparing my first holiday meal for the family.
I was in the kitchen, early that morning, slicing and dicing. I got that bird all stuffed, seasoned and placed that fowl into the oven in a brown paper grocery bag. That’s how the women in my family cooked a turkey in order for it to come out nicely browned and moist.
While we waited for dinner to turn into a magnificent feast we drove my motherin-law over to the location of our new build. We escorted her through the model home, then on to the framework of our looming structure.
Upon returning back home it was time to take out my masterpiece. I could hardly wait to see my golden delicious specimen. I cut the grocery bag open and Mr. Bird was as white as when he was placed in the oven several hours prior. How could this be?
All three of us adults hung our heads
over this feast in wonderment. What could possibly have gone wrong? Then my husband began READING the instructions, now melted onto the turkeys skin: Take off outer plastic wrapper, put stuffing in turkey, place in oven and cook at 325 degrees.
Did you ever try to peel melted plastic directions off a fifteen pound turkey? And that poor sickly plucked fowl was still
pure white! Hadn’t browned one bit. That was the Thanksgiving to remember. My attempt to make my first lush dinner and my last attempt to impress my mother-in-law. That darling women never said a thing. Didn’t even laugh at my attempt. It was on that day I realized my kitchen hated me and, trust me, the feeling was mutual! Anyone else feel the same?
Some years ago, there was an article in one of the nation’s leading publications entitled “From Hero to Zero.” It was about a lady who was a partner in a leading law firm in a major city who had changed her life by giving up the corporate world and all of its perks to have a baby and become a stay-at-home mom. As a corporate exec, she had numerous perks including use of a private limo, use of the corporate jet, attendance at many meetings and conferences at glamourous places around the country and around the world. She was also treated with respect and reverence wherever she went, including leading restaurants, shops and other establishments. I’m not sure that being in a high-level position in society makes one a hero, but the lady who wrote the article wanted to point out the difference in how she was treated before and after being in a high-level role. As time passed after leaving her execu-
tive position, she began to see how she was not quite as important in some places as previously. Perhaps she was no longer a well-known and highly respected leader in the corporate world and in the community. Dining with world leaders had changed to dining with close personal friends (to whom she still was a hero). Obtaining a last-minute, spur of the moment seat at a special table in a highly sought-after restaurant was no longer on the table (no pun intended). To visit friends and family, attend events or functions in other locations, or go on vacation now required fighting traffic or waiting in long lines at airports. Yes, life had changed.
Did she regret her decision to leave a high paying job with countless perks and the admiration of many to become a stay-at-home mom? Absolutely not! She loved it and she loved her new lifestyle.
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tended community outreach event. Held at the Pavilion, the day of dancing and singing involves various Sun City performing groups and benefits Bluffton Self Help and Doors to Freedom.
The league also hosted a “Join Us In January” event with friends invited to enjoy various fun activities for a fee. All donations were given to Memory Matters.
Additional activities taken on by these active women, which benefit local causes include: Mr. Pig’s Book Nook has lending libraries for children in Piggly Wiggly stores in Port Royal, Ridgeland and Hardeeville. Books are available for children to borrow, who might not otherwise visit a library. They can choose books as they accompany their parents on a food shopping trip.
Also, elegant teas for women veterans and for residents at Okatie Pines and The Vineyard have been hosted. Food drives have been organized for St. Stephen’s Food Bank in Ridgeland, Mercy Misson in Hardeeville and Bluffton Self Help.
In addition to fundraisers for Doors to Freedom, members have provided sup-
plies for their classroom, and helped furnish a second home for the girls.
Together with the United Way, the women tutor in Beaufort and Jasper County schools. They also provide tutoring and activities at the Boys & Girls Club in Jasper County and at Agape Family Life Center in Hardeeville.
The group participated in Sun City’s Earth Day and organized an activity to teach proper recycling to the children at Agape Center.
Another project provides Pink Bags filled with comforting gifts for cancer patients in our area.
Other charities the group has helped include: St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Memory Matters, American Heart Association, Alzheimer’s Association, Friends of Hunting Island, Operation Smile and Canine Companions.
“I am proud to say I am a charter member of the GFWC Woman’s League of the Lowcountry. These women share their time and resources with various charities to improve lives,” said member Chris Chase.
Since 1981, everyone here at Epperson Service Experts has kept one thing top of mind: providing the residents of the Epperson community peace of mind by keeping them comfortable in their own homes. For more than 40 years, we’ve remained as locally minded as ever—through good times and not-so-good times.
To deliver the service you deserve, our Experts are ACE certified (like a master’s degree for HVAC technicians) and have passed comprehensive screenings and background checks. Our work is backed by a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, and in addition to
we offer membership programs to cover your every HVAC need. Just give us a call to enroll or learn more.
GFWC Woman’s League of the Lowcountry was started in Sun City in 2015 by Anne Redlus, who had been President of a New Jersey group before moving to Sun City.
“We are part of an international women’s organization The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC), which was started in 1890, to coordinate its members
efforts at promoting volunteer community service,” said Alane.
The group meets at 3:00 pm, on the third Thursday of the month at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, and anyone interested is welcome to attend. For more information contact Alane Peragallo, alanegary@comcast.net.
Good for her! She was still a “hero.”
Why might this story be relevant to Sun City? In Sun City, there are many residents who were “heroes” in their prior lives. There are hundreds of former corporate executives, CEOs, presidents, business owners and politicians who were well known and highly respected in their business environments and in the communities in which they resided. Now they live in Sun City where many residents do not know (and may not care) about their neighbors’ or playing partners’ former status.
In Sun City, a hero is someone who does something that earns the current respect and admiration of other residents. The resident who jumps into a pond to save a person or a dog being carried away by an alligator is a hero. The residents who generously devote time and talents to help the less fortunate are heroes. We all can be heroes in the way we live our lives and “give back” for all that we have received in the past. We don’t see many limos in Sun City, but we do see many people
from all walks of life who worked hard to afford a move to this terrific community. Many still work and many still pay mortgages. Many, regardless of their prior status in life, are living the lives of heroes today.
While losing “hero” status in a prior life based on one’s position in society may be a loss for some Sun City residents, for most it is simply a wellearned transition from one way of life to another that can be even more enjoyable.
In Sun City, one earns respect by the way one lives here and now. One’s prior life is only useful as it has helped prepare one for today’s life. Most, if not all, former “heroes” have made the transition extremely effectively and are now living very enjoyable lives! No more pressure to meet deadlines or to satisfy the boss or the board of directors or to miss precious time with the family. No more limos or special perks but many new benefits of a life in paradise. Well done, former “heroes!” Enjoy life in paradise!
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Do you want to contribute to the Sun City Sun?
If so, we want to connect with you!
Email editor@blufftonsun.com for details!
Attention Ladies: We just found the perfect guy! Maddie is a handsome beefcake of a cat with lots of love to give. He’s sweet, gentle, and charming. He’s a little shy at first but warms up quickly. What more could a girl want? Maddie is 5 years old, neutered, up to date on vaccinations, and microchipped. If you are interested in adopting Maddie, call Palmetto Animal League at (843) 645-1725 or email Info@PalmettoAnimalLeague.org.
This week marks 4 years since Harley first came to the Palmetto Animal League Adoption Center. Over the years, she has watched as many other dogs have come and gone. Now, it’s Harley’s time to find the forever home she so desperately longs for. Harley isn’t the right dog for everyone, but she’s the perfect dog for someone! She is spayed, up to date on vaccinations, and microchipped. Email Info@PalmettoAnimalLeague.org to learn more.
Recently the group 100+ Sun City Women Who Care presented a check to Helen Shuler, the director of St. Stephen’s Food Bank, for a donation in the amount of $16,700 for the charity. Their mission is to help eliminate hunger and clothe the needy in the surrounding poor communities of Jasper County. Some of the group members who attended were, L-R, Camille Richardson, Cindy Phillip, Judy Young, Roberta TeBrake, Mary Lou Beavers, Vicki Mack, Kate Mace - the nominator, Shirley Guy, Sharon Lang, the director, Kay Mills, Carolyn Hubers, Andy Hoerner, Lynda Cratty, and Terri Reutter
In the large cities from which many Sun City residents resided before coming to the Sun City community, exchanging greetings with strangers as one walks down the street is not a common behavior. In some areas, it is suggested that you avoid eye contact with oncoming strangers so that you do not invite conversation with the stranger. In Sun City, exchanging greetings with strangers is a very common behavior. One of the many reasons that Sun City is such an enjoyable community in which to reside is the friendliness of fellow residents. As we walk or ride in Sun City, it is a very common practice to say hello or to wave to others that we encounter. We also meet many others as we participate in clubs, groups, committees and other events, activities and amenities. Yes, it’s great to meet so many nice people but how in the
world can we remember their names?
Sometimes, when we are walking, we stop to chat even though we don’t know the person. We might introduce ourselves and exchange names with one another. This is great. But what happens the next time that you see the same person? What if they re membered your name and use it when they say hello.
the tip of my tongue.
Uh oh! What is their name? I have it on
A lady who is very involved in many activities is fairly well known by those with whom she participates. As such, many know her name and use it when they say hello. Not being stellar at remembering names (Can you relate?), she often responds by saying “Hi there.” Unfortunately, a few of her contacts have become familiar with her response and
have talked about being a member of the “there” family (which is becoming quite large).
Another common practice in Sun City is to stop and say hello to someone’s dog while being walked. Often, we ask the dog’s name and spend a few minutes petting the dog. Sun City is great place to own a dog. Guess what might happen the next time that you see the same person that you met walking the same dog? Here comes Marbles and her master, good old what’s her name. What is her name?
Darn, this is frustrating!
Whether or not we remember the names of those we meet along the way, Sun City is a great place to live and to interact with friendly residents. If someone says hello to you and uses your name, and you can’t remember their name, simply say “Hi there.” The “there” family is alive and well and growing in Sun City.
After sailing in regattas all over the world, one thing is clear – we need to do more to protect our oceans.
Our oceans face devastating threats like plastic pollution, oil spills, and destruction to marine habitats. Join Sailors for the Sea Powered by Oceana to take action to protect our waters.
© Allison Chenard
