4 minute read
People You Should Know
BY LIESEL SCHMIDT
or anyone who has ever met Lisa Cox, two things stand out about this incredibly driven woman: She has a heart to help the elderly, and she loves hats with an unmatched passion.
A fourth-generation Baldwin County native, Cox comes from a family that developed Spanish Fort Estates, so her ties to the community run deep. Over the past 27 years, she has served as a social worker, nine of which have been spent with Amedisys Home Health. To Cox, her years of work with seniors has been a calling, something which has inspired her drive to do everything she can to help them in the ways that they need it the most. In fact, she created a medical lending closet called Eastern Shore Medical Solutions that is currently run from her garage. “I accept gently used DME (or Durable Medical Equipment) and give them to low-income seniors who can’t afford to purchase them or don’t have insurance coverage,” explains Cox. “A lot of people need medical equipment for a short time and never use it again. Or someone dies and the family is left with supplies that someone else could use. People need diapers, wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, or even Ensure but can't afford them. My son and I created a Facebook
HEALTH, HAPPINESS ANDHats Hats
page to make donating and distributing easier, and the whole community gets involved to help. I also do a Secret Senior Santa at Christmas for people with no family and distribute gifts to over 30 seniors. Once a year, I do an Ensure of the Elderly drive and give the protein drinks to people who need them but can’t afford them.”
This is the side of Lisa Cox dedicated to giving, to helping. But there’s another side— one that wants nothing more than to make people happy. This is where Cox’s creativity— and her intense love of hats—comes in. Naturally, there’s a story there. “My sister and I were in a Mardi Gras organization for 20 years, and I made hats each year to go with the theme of the float,” says Cox. “The first hat was a top hat I spray painted white, and I added layers, so it looked like a birthday cake with LED lights for candles for our Happy Birthday float. I tried to top it each year and learned to make hats lighter with my own bases. I can't draw or sew but started working with hot glue and feathers. I never dreamed it would grow into a business making hats that other people would want to buy.”
But grown, it has, and now Pcox (her middle name is Patrice) has become a fully realized business selling custom-made hats and fascinators. My mother swears the first word I said was ‘hat’ and that I would throw a temper tantrum if I left the house without wearing one,” Cox laughs. “Hats are like putting on a superhero cape or having magical powers. When you wear a hat, you stand taller, you feel more secure. People look at you, and you feel empowered like you are special. I love giving that to someone through the hats that I create. If I have a bad day, I go to my workroom. I turn on the hot glue gun and start to feel better. I didn't know this part of me was there and how much I needed to create. I have a vision board with things I like, and I will wake up at two in the morning and start working on an idea. Sometimes it starts with a picture and turns out nothing like it. Still, I love these hats. I actually get emotionally attached to each hat I make and name my favorite ones after famous women or a favorite song.”
Cox’s hat business now keeps her booked most of the year with custom orders for the Derby, Halloween, Mardi Gras, weddings—even for a few dogs. “I really don’t ever make a profit because I just buy more feathers and vintage jewelry for the next hat!” Cox notes. “Making hats and helping people in home health both provide help and happiness. It all goes together."
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