Hilton Head Monthly Voice Voice of the Lowcountry 
BUSINESS ETIQUETTE FOR REMOTE WORKERS
Many of us find ourselves working at home thanks to the novel coronavirus, and more than a few find it challenging. The current situation is already stressful enough without sitting through a conference call where one coworker is chewing ice and another has a terrible connection.
This does not make for a productive work environment.
SPARTINA 449 EXPANDS ITS OFFERINGS TO CLOTHING COLLECTIONS
When Kay Stanley decided to get into the accessories business in 2009, she took her cues from her surroundings: the laid-back Lowcountry lifestyle of Daufuskie Island, where she had recently come —supposedly—to slow down in early retirement.
Spartina 449 is named for the lush sea grass that grows along the South Carolina coast. Stanley’s brand of upscale designer handbags, accessories and now clothes flourished, quickly becoming popular in the Lowcountry and beyond. Her plan for a life of leisure evaporated as quickly as a puddle on a Lowcountry summer day.
BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT? THESE TIPS CAN MAKE IT LESS STRESSFUL
We’re all spending most of our time at home as we practice social distancing to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s likely we’ll need to leave the house at some point — to run to the grocery story, the doctor or other necessary errands. And though there might be fewer cars on the streets right now, accidents can still happen. And when they do, it’s an unsettling experience. Whether it’s a fender-bender or a head-on collision, the event instantly disrupts your day.
The past decade or so has been dominated by political debate over climate change. I’m not going to get into that too much, but I do want to discuss the impact the changing climate is having on economic activity globally, nationally and locally.
There are obvious points of view about why we are experiencing climate change. Either we are in a normal climate cycle, or human behaviors are causing temperatures to rise — leading to rising sea levels, more frequent catastrophic events, and melting glaciers. It doesn’t matter why it’s happening; the potential impacts are very real and very serious.
LOWCOUNTRY LEGAL VOLUNTEERS MARK 20 YEARS
A single mother reaches out to Lowcountry Legal Volunteers. She has two jobs, three children and a desperate desire to care for them and spend more time with them. But the children’s father isn’t providing child support and she can’t afford to hire an attorney. The staff at Lowcountry Legal Volunteers, which includes a small team of full-time employees and about 30 volunteers, steps up to help.
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS CELEBRATES 100 YEARS
In 1920, American suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt founded the League of Women Voters. What began as an effort to help 20 million women cast their first ballots has become a power-ful nonpartisan organization with more than 700 chapters across the U.S.
This Valentine’s Day, the League of Women Voters will cele-brate its 100th anniversary.
BACKPACK BUDDIES CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF FEEDING STUDENTS
Janet Weingarten had only been living on Hilton Head Island for a short time before she noticed something that wasn’t listed on any of the tourism or real estate brochures.
“It’s almost a rite of passage when you move here,” she said. “You see gated communities. Then you start driving down side roads and you see a large part of the population. There are hungry families there.
PAY YOURSELF FIRST TO ACHIEVE YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS
Whether you’re planning for a hard-earned vacation or a new car, or if you want to boost your retirement and emergency funds, saving is key.
No amount of money is too small to begin squirrelling away, said Bill Brady, managing principal at Hilton Head-based CrossRoads Financial Group.
“Minor adjustments can lead to major improvements,” Brady said. “Are you sure you need that $5 Starbucks coffee every day?”
BRUNO LANDSCAPE & NURSERY IS A FAMILY AFFAIR
This month Bruno Landscape & Nursery will be celebrating 30 years in business on Hilton Head Island. A small landscape business started by Gary and Mary Ann Bruno in 1989 has blossomed into a booming operation that has far exceeded their expectations. Their once young children (Steven, Jenna & Nikki), who tagged along from job site to job site, are now all working in the family business.
25 YEARS AND $82 MILLION LATER, COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOWCOUNTRY IS STILL GROWING
The world’s first community foundation was set up in Cleveland, Ohio in 1914. Eight decades later, the Lowcountry established one of its own, seeded with $20 million from the sale of Hilton Head Hospital.
Now, with a quarter century under its belt, Community Foundation of the Lowcountry continues to grow, having invested more than $82 million in grants and scholarships since 1994.
