It was March 2017 when 61-year-old Cindy Foster received the phone call. A friend of a friend was putting a girlfriends’ trip together. As soon as Cindy was asked to be included, she said yes without hesitation. After all, she had 11-months to process, prepare and pine.

The destination: Africa, but not just regular stay-in-a-hotel-and-go-on-safari Africa. And, not a mission trip either. This was a trip for a group of women, who are normally more the Ritz crowd, to climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the absolute highest point in Africa at 19,341 feet above sea level and the world’s highest, free-standing mountain.

Steve, what was your first impression of Eveyln? My sister and brother asked me to go bowling, and invited Evelyn, just because my sister hadn’t seen her in a few months. She was just so easy to talk to— non-assuming, no makeup, and wearing jeans, and had the prettiest smile. We met and after she ate all my fries that evening, I asked her to have lunch the next day—it was like we had known each other for years, even though it was only a week. It wasn’t love at first sight, and she didn’t really want to date me, because she was guarded, too. But one evening we were talking and she said, “ I think I love you”, and I replied, “I know I love you!”

After more than a decade of helping troubled families, Angel Tatum continues to love her work, despite the long hours and sometimes heart-breaking circumstances.

“I know what I do is impactful,” said Angel, who is currently a family specialist at Thornwell in Camden County, a nonprofit organization providing residential, family and educational support programs, as well as a foster care. Before transitioning to that position less than a year ago, she was the director of foster care at Morningstar Family and Children Services in Brunswick. “I may be tired, but when I interact with families and children, it gives me energy. Advocacy is very important for the families we work with for them to be restored.”

Professional horse trainer, aircraft mechanic, first mate, business owner, realtor, artist, yoga teacher and pilot—those are just some of the hats St. Simons resident Annie Harper has worn. “My mother loved everything I did. That’s why I’m so weird,” she said, with a laugh. “I’m serious!”

She currently splits her time between serving as pilot for the local Civil Air Patrol’s Sundown Patrol; first mate on the 71-foot restored yacht, the Cloister Belle; a realtor with Don Wright & Associates; and yoga instructor at Balance Wellness Studio.

Catina Tindall
President, First Coast Benefits Solutions, Inc
President Elect, Rotary Club of Brunswick
Board Member, Hospice of the Golden Isles

What does the phrase “The Sky’s the Limit” mean to you?
Opportunity is never limited.

What do you love most about your career and community volunteer work?
As an insurance broker, providing a client with a sense of relief and understanding is my ultimate goal. When someone ends a conversation and feels well informed, that gives me a personal sense of satisfaction, even if the news is not what they wanted to hear. Working with our clients to find solutions to what may be viewed as impossible situations is the most rewarding part of my job.  
Volunteering allows me to work with people and on projects I would never otherwise have access to. Volunteering gives more to me than I could ever give to it.

Everyone knows Tina Tyus-Shaw. She’s been the main news anchor on WSAV in Savannah for more than 20 years. As expected with that kind of longevity, she’s seen quite a few co-anchors come and go in the hot seat beside her, but she’s managed to keep her seat warm, which matches her heart perfectly.

Raised in Griffin, Georgia, Tina is the oldest of 12 children, a position she doesn’t take lightly. “It taught me to be a leader and be strong and how to love more. I adore them all,” she said, giving her parents credit for the close family bond that glues this large, blended family together. “My parents are genuinely good people.”

“There is a Hebrew word, ‘mitzvah,’ which means a good experience or a good deed. We named our dog Mitzi, short for Mitzvah, because she has been such a wonderful experience for us.” —Ray Mintz