Staff reports
United Way of the Lowcountry’s Women United named Maureen Cooley its 2024 Woman of the Year during its Fall Luncheon held Tuesday, Oct. 22, at The Culinary Institute of the South in Bluffton. The award recognizes women in the Lowcountry who have made significant contributions to their communities through volunteerism and serve as role models for others.
Cooley was selected from a group of four finalists, also including Feneshiae Greene, founder of Heart of God Outreach Ministry; Meredith Keene, owner of Meredith A Keene CPA LLC; and Tameka Walker, a holistic doula and founder of Energy Evolution. The Women United Woman of the Year Award, established in 2014, celebrates philanthropic-minded women who invest their time, energy, and passion into making the Lowcountry a better place to live.
“Maureen exemplifies everything that Women United and this award represent. Through her tireless dedication to helping those in need, she has touched countless lives and created lasting change in our community,” last year’s Woman of the Year recipient Claudia Aller said in a news release. “She is a true advocate for the most vulnerable among us, organizing care drives and delivering essential items like food, clothing, toys and baby supplies to local nonprofits. Maureen is an inspiration to us all.”
Described as a formidable community champion, Cooley advocates for those in need by organizing donation drives. These efforts result in hundreds of carloads of care packages and gift bags containing food, clothing, toys, baby supplies, and personal items for organizations such as Hopeful Horizons, St. Francis Center, the Keyserling Cancer Institute, the Salvation Army and the Beaufort County Animal Shelter.
In addition to honoring Cooley, Women United celebrated the largest class of Women United Scholarship Fund Award recipients to date. These six extraordinary women are pursuing their educational goals with the support of the Women United Scholarship Fund:
- Geobana Alvarez – Accounting, Technical College of the Lowcountry
- Alyssa Robert – Elementary Education, University of South Carolina Beaufort
- Kayla Townsend – Elementary Education, University of South Carolina Beaufort
- Paul Madrid – Nursing, Technical College of the Lowcountry
- Tymeca Sawyer – Nursing, Technical College of the Lowcountry
- Angela Thomas – Business Administration/Management, Technical College of the Lowcountry
Since its establishment in 2020, the Women United Scholarship Fund has empowered non-traditional female students in Beaufort and Jasper Counties to achieve their academic dreams and advance in their careers. To qualify, scholarship recipients must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and demonstrate community involvement through volunteerism.
