Lawson named Volunteer of the Year at convention

Connie Lawson, a member of the North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club (NMBWC) was presented with the Volunteer of the Year Award at the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of South Carolina Convention (GFWC-SC) held at the Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C.. Past President Kathy Heagen described her “as the heart and soul of our club, dedicating countless hours to community service with passion, kindness and unwavering commitment.  Her leadership, creativity and generosity have made an extraordinary impact on the North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club and our entire community.”  GFWC-SC is comprised of more than 1,115 members in 45 clubs. NMBWC is one of those clubs.   

Connie’s commitment to service extends far beyond the club and continues to transform lives throughout our community. She chaired the National Day of Service combating food insecurity in 2024, but her efforts did not end there. She then played a key role in arranging and facilitating meetings between the Low Country Food Bank and the North Myrtle Beach Mayor, City Manager and the Parks & Recreation Director. These discussions led to the creation of ongoing Saturday market-style food distributions for food-insecure residents, held at the North Myrtle Beach Farmers Market.

Connie led the effort for our club to host the first World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.  She wrote a proclamation which was read at City Hall by the Mayor and read at the event by Police Chief Dana Crowell.  Our club raised awareness about Elder Abuse in our community and funds for Project Lifesaver, a lifesaving program for “at risk” individuals prone to the life-threatening behavior of wandering.  This effort was recognized by the General Federation of Women’s Club with the Presidents Gem award.  GFWC is an international women’s organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service.

Connie also co-chaired the NMBWC team for the Alzheimer’s Association Walk. The team surpassed its fundraising goal and as a result of these efforts, the club ranked among the Top 10 GFWC clubs nationwide raising funds for Alzheimer’s. This cause holds deep personal significance for her because her husband is living with Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, further strengthening her commitment to raising awareness.

She has served on the Attorney General’s South Carolina Human Trafficking Taskforce for 6 years, which is a statewide initiative that coordinates multidisciplinary efforts across law enforcement, social services, education, and community organizations to prevent, investigate, and respond to human trafficking in South Carolina.

Five years ago, the club’s Domestic Violence Committee was brainstorming about how to raise funds for the club’s Domestic Violence Victims Fund to help local victims.  Connie suggested a Walk Event, the committee, set about to create this event which takes place every October at the Sports Complex.  She continues to play a role each year by having a dedicated booth to raise awareness about human trafficking, teen dating violence, and elder abuse.

She has served at the state level as the GFWC-SC Signature Program Chair for Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention 2024-2026 and the GFWC-SC Chair of the International Day of Service 2025.  She obtained a state proclamation from the Governor of SC declaring September 27, 2025, as General Federation of Women’s Clubs International Day of Service. Connie also initiated the request for an International Day of Service Proclamation from the City of North Myrtle Beach, and it was read at City Hall on Sept. 15, 2025. She partnered with state agencies, i.e., the SC Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault to run an educational Social Media Campaign September 21-27, 2025, and another  educational Social Media Campaign for the entire month of October. She also served on the GFWC-SC Trustees of the Scholarship Fund for the Coastal District.

Connie has always been an innovator. She was the first person in South Carolina to bring the Kids Hope USA mentoring program to our area. This program pairs one church with one elementary school (with at-risk students.) She trained over 100 mentors and prayer partners so transformative relationships could develop with a caring and consistent adult, empowering these children to thrive.  Both she and the principal agreed failure was not an option.

She also brought Canines for Christ to our state; she was the first canine handler with her therapy dog Shiloh to make visits to those in need here in South Carolina. It was during this time that Connie completed course work to become a Chaplain.  This led her to go back to her hospital roots and volunteer at McLeod Seacoast Hospital in Little River, where she was their first therapy dog team.  Her dog retired several years ago but Connie has been a volunteer now for 10 years.  She serves as the Volunteer Team Leader of Pastoral Care. She oversees Chaplains at three different hospital locations within the McLeod Health System.  She has also trained over 100 volunteers at the hospital in a program she developed called “No One Dies Alone” where volunteers are taught how to “sit vigil” with someone who is expected to die within 72 hours and has no family in the area, ensuring that terminally ill patients without family receive compassionate companionship in their final moments. This program is now being shared with other hospitals wishing to start a similar program.    

Within the NMBWC, Connie has served in numerous leadership roles, including Chaplain Chair, Health & Wellness Chair, Second Vice President where she was responsible for developing and writing our newsletter which was recognized with awards from GFWC-SC in 2020, 2022, and 2023.  She also received creative writing awards in 2020 and 2021 for her prayers and in 2022 and 2023 for her devotions.  In 2025, she wrote many articles for GFWC-SC publications and the NMBWC newsletter. She always takes part in the club’s many activities and fundraising efforts and works to make things better within our community.

Kathy said, “Connie is the embodiment of what it means to be a volunteer.  She consistently exceeds expectations, taking on projects with unmatched dedication and compassion.  She is genuinely kind, focused, and always willing to serve where needed.  She never seeks recognition always saying, it is God who deserves the glory. Her impact is undeniable.  She has changed lives through her work.  She always shows up without hesitation and has a natural ability to uplift those around her. Her love is visible, active, and unrelenting. She leads by doing, and she gives without asking for recognition.”