Dynamic duo on Hilton Head Island work to help area's needy

Thanks to Carole Galli of Hilton Head Island for sharing the story of two women who work tirelessly to help the needy.

"Dynamic Duo"

By Carole Galli

Sometimes fate steps in and puts us in the right place at the right time. No, that's not a famous quote. I just made it up. But, in my opinion, it applies to Connie Shelford and Sheila Gallahue.

These two New York transplants, one from Long Island and one from Manhattan, met through a mutual friend on Hilton Head Island back in 2005, and it was an instant friendship.

In a very short time after meeting, they realized that being New Yorkers was only a small part of their bond. After a few conversations, they discovered they had similar interests, similar philosophies and a similar desire to help others.

They began by getting involved with their church's outreach program. St. Francis By the Sea Catholic Church has an assistance program that helps families with short-term needs and Connie and Sheila were not shy about rolling up their sleeves and helping out when and wherever they could.

Just about the time they were looking for a little bigger challenge they saw an article in The Island Packet about a community forum that would address hunger and homelessness in Beaufort County, but specifically on Hilton Head. They grabbed their purses and notebooks, and they headed to Congregation Beth Yam where the forum was being held.

After listening to all of the evening's speakers, they knew that if any further action was to be taken, they wanted to be a part of it.

It wasn't long after that meeting, and as a result of that meeting, that the Hunger and Homeless Coalition was formed. One of the coalition's projects was a program that provided nutritious food on the weekends for children who received subsidized meals at school during the week. Sheila and Connie were hooked. They attended the first Backpack Buddies committee meeting and they have had a presence at the table, and in the community, ever since.

According to Sheila, "We'd both had a little bit of experience with fundraising in our previous lives -- on a very small scale. But it seemed that what was needed most at the beginning was money and both of us were so passionate about this program that we decided to give it a try."

From Connie's perspective: "This was not something I would have done by myself. But we seem to give each other strength and courage. We think alike. We can almost finish each other's sentences. And when we talked about hungry children on Hilton Head Island, people were shocked. They couldn't believe that on this island of plenty, children could be going hungry."

For the past four years, the team of Connie Shelford and Sheila Gallahue has been a fundraising force to reckon with. They have spoken to several of the ministries at St. Francis, to Rotary Clubs and to numerous other organizations. According to Sheila, "We talked to anybody who would listen."

And they were very successful. At that time, I was treasurer for the Hunger and Homeless Coalition and I could always count on these women to "bring home the bacon." Every time they spoke, they brought me a check to deposit.

And they didn't stop with speaking engagements.

When Backpack Buddies wanted to start providing fresh fruit, Connie and Sheila visited local supermarkets and came back with donations of fresh fruit.

When they read about Belk's Customer Appreciation Charity Days, they applied for and got acceptance for Backpack Buddies to be a recipient. Now, twice a year they organize this event for Backpack Buddies.

Their latest coup is getting Backpack Buddies to be the first local charity to be recognized by Whole Foods Market at Shelter Cove as a "5% Charity Day" recipient. On Oct. 14, 5 percent of all of that store's proceeds will go to support Backpack Buddies.

This dynamic duo continues to work with the St. Francis outreach program. They also are on the board of directors of the Palmetto Dunes Women's Club. In between all of this charity work they also have children, grandchildren, and even two great-grandchildren to dote over.

On this little island, the buildings may not be as high as they are on Manhattan. But the challenges are just as great and these two New Yorkers aren't afraid to meet them head on.

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This story was originally published October 11, 2014 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Dynamic duo on Hilton Head Island work to help area's needy."