Family Promise of Beaufort County Shines the Spotlight on Caroline Johnson

As a volunteer driven organization, we are shining the spotlight each month on one of our dedicated volunteers who are the heart of Family Promise. They work tirelessly and greatly deserve our thanks and recognition!

In November, we shine the Volunteer Spotlight on Caroline Johnson, an office volunteer at the Day Center in Bluffton and an overnight volunteer at First Presbyterian Church on Hilton Head.  Her congregation is one of the many which house Family Promise guests for a week at a time, four times throughout the year.

Though living on Hilton Head Island is quite different from her previous lifelong home in Manhattan, the mission of helping the homeless is something to which Caroline has long been committed. At Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City, Caroline and her family participated in a renovation of the church house that included the construction of a shelter for homeless men.  At the time the project began, her son was in third grade and often volunteered with her. Caroline recalls with fondness his words, “Mom, what does homelessness look like?” Reflecting, she says that any one of us could find ourselves homeless for any number of unexpected reasons.

Caroline and her husband David moved to Hilton Head two years ago. David is developing a commercial property in Bluffton. “It was somewhat serendipitous that we landed here,” Caroline says of their move to the Lowcountry. “We hadn’t spent much time here, but as we started looking at houses things just fell into place.” The same is true of their membership at First Presbyterian.  Their involvement there came about by visiting the church and being welcomed by the minister and members of the congregation.

When asked what she enjoys most about her overnight stays, Caroline says, “Family Promise is a big program and it takes lots of people to serve our families.  I appreciate the opportunity to interact with guests in a smaller, more personal setting when I help host.”

When she is not volunteering for Family Promise or traveling to see family members across the country, Caroline is busy with two major projects.  One is the publication of a book on nonalcoholic drinks. With an extensive background as a financial journalist and editor, she is currently putting her skills to work on this soon-to-be-complete book.

Caroline is training at Oasis Ministries in Camp Hill, PA, in a two-year program in Spiritual Direction for Spiritual Guides. Designed for those seeking to deepen their practice of prayer and become a spiritual companion to others, Caroline is one of a cohort of 12 people who meet six times a year.  “I am learning alongside others who also want to deepen their spiritual connection to God and explore how faith manifests itself in our lives. We share about how to quiet our minds and be present to others in the most meaningful way.”

Caroline is the proud mother of three grown children. Her daughter Sarah lives in Los Angeles. Her daughter Amelia Lane is in Charleston, and her youngest, Russell, lives in Boston.

We are so very thankful for dedicated volunteers like Caroline who enable Family Promise to continue to meet the needs of homeless children and their families.