What We Are About
We repair homes for the impoverished Gullah community on St. Helena Island, SC. The Gullah community is made up of African Americans who are direct descendants of former enslaved Africans on St. Helena Island, SC.
On St. Helena Island, the community members generally own the land where their houses are located. Many of the homes are occupied by three generations including small children.
Our goal is to rehabilitate our homes, educate owners, as well as train tradesmen & women through volunteerism, apprenticeship, programs, and workshops.
Who We Are
Board Chair
David C. House is an eighteen-year resident of Beaufort County who resides on Spring Island. He is the retired Group President of American Express in New York, New York. David managed three Global businesses in over 50 countries around the world.
David served on the Board of AMI KIDS in Beaufort for nine years. He served on the Board of Trustees for Beaufort Memorial Hospital from March 2012 to March 2024, during which he served as head of the Finance Committee for 6 years, and Chairman Of The Board as well for 6 years..
He currently serves on the BMH Foundation Board, and is also a member of the Investment Committee. David also served on the Spring Island Property Owners Board for three years during which time he led the Strategic Planning Committee.
Vice Chair
Sara’ Reynolds Green is a native of St. Helena Island, and has had a multifaceted career as a mother, teacher, social worker, school counselor, and farmer. After attending Spelman College in Atlanta GA, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education, she returned to her native home in 1989 to assist her mother during a land ownership dispute. In 2007, Sara founded Marshview Community Organic Farm, Inc., while working for the Beaufort County School District. She served eighteen years as a Social Worker and School Counselor, retiring in 2022. Her endeavors expanded in 2009 when she married Gullah Chef Bill Green. Together they developed the Gullah Grub restaurant, and manage the SC Coastal Community Development Corporation, which provides the distribution of organic produce to the community while establishing a Gullah Cooking School which has trained over 300 young chefs and farmers to date. As CEO/Co-Founder of Marshview, Sara’ guides students ages 8-18 in managing the farm, fostering practical training, career experiences, and entrepreneurial skills. With Sara’s guidance, the farm is managed from seed to harvest by students and two part-time farm workers. Students work after school and on weekends to cultivate the land, plant seeds, nurture seedlings, plant the garden, weed, maintain, and harvest the crops.
Marshview Community Organic Farm, Inc. offers a unique conduit to improve the economic, social, health, and cultural opportunities for local youth and their families on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, through six program areas: (1) De Gullah Way Tutorial Program; (2) The Family Backyard Garden Box Project; (3) The Gullah Farming and Cooking School; (4) The Home Cooked Meals Project (5) Gullah Cultural Productions, and (6) Home Repairs Project. Each of these programs provides opportunities for local young people to learn about organic farming, healthy eating, Gullah culture, and nurture community volunteerism. Sara Reynolds Green ‘s leadership as owner and operator of Marshview Community Organic Farms underscores a commitment to youth development and community wellbeing. Marshview Community Organic Farms, Inc. is a non-profit 501c3 organization.
Treasurer
Kenneth Dalrymple serves as the project coordinator and the treasurer of our organization. He supports the supervision of all volunteer staff and procured materials list, maintaining active management and spending list for all expenses, whilst coordinating all activities with the contractor, volunteers, and homeowners.
Ken retired from BASF where he worked as technical sales manager, supporting paint sales to BMW North America in Greer, SC. Prior to that, Ken was a Plant Manager for Key Plastics, where he grew the company from 125 employees to over 600 with $50 million in annual sales. Key Plastics manufactured 35 thousand exterior painted door handles shipped daily to GM, Chrysler, Ford, and Honda.
He fell in love with the Lowcountry when he moved to the area to help plant New Spring Church in Bluffton.
Secretary
Saundra Renee Smith is a native of St. Helena Island’s Gullah community, and serves as the grant writer and secretary for the organization. She retired in 2016 as a Registered Nurse Educator working for the US government. Holding a doctorate in Spiritual Christian Counseling, a Master’s Degree in Administration, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, she is also a renowned Gullah folk artist and owner of Gullah Art by Renee, LLC.
Throughout her career, Saundra severed in various military treatment facilities, including Kenner Army Hospital in Fort Lee VA, Head Nurse of the Immunization and Allergy Department in Quantico, VA, training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, and two tours at Beaufort Naval Hospital. She established significant programs, such as a Vasectomy Clinic and a Women’s Health Program impacting thousands of patients and training numerous corpsmen, doctors, and nurses.
A community leader, Saundra has been a board member of The Good Neighbor Medical Clinic, Beaufort Arts Council, Beaufort Council on Aging. She currently administers the Health and Wellness Ministry and Food Bank feeding program at New Life Deliverance Temple, having established it in 2017. This program has fed over a hundred thousand individuals, created jobs, and led to the establishment of New Life Deliverance Temple Academy, the first After School Program on St. Helena after the pandemic.
Saundra’s contributions extend beyond feeding and education, as she initiated support to raised funding for summer recreation camp for island children at once closed community centers. She developed the HEAL program addressing mental health concerns among school-aged girls, particularly following the pandemic. Her Hot Meals Delivery Program with partnership from Beaufort Memorial Hospital and Gullah Grub Restaurant has been a life line for many seniors and children of the island, and active for over five years. She is married to retired Marine and former PALS Recreation Director Michael Smith and they live on St. Helena Island.
Theresa Cuthbert-Jenkins serves on the board for the Saint Helena Gullah Community Housing Project.
My name is Theresa, and I was born and raised in Saint Helena Island. For a brief period of my life, I lived in New York; but decided to move to Boston, Massachusetts where I resided until I retired. I worked as an Underwriter for a medical malpractice insurance company, Joint Underwriting Association of MA. For the remaining 18 years of my career, I worked for a major construction company, Jay Cashman Inc. as a Payroll/HR Manager; and in this role I managed a staff of up to two hundred employees.
After my retirement, I returned to my home in Saint Helena Island in 2014. There I have strived to work hard for my community, serving on the board for the Saint Helena Gullah Community Housing Project. My work on the board includes assisting with active projects, managing applications, providing my service to applicants as needed, and coordinating the volunteer’s lunch. I strive to uphold decent work and standards, and to continue to be a pillar in my community.