The Kiawah Women’s Foundation was established in 2013 after two Kiawah Island residents, Terry Weaver and Theresa Widuch, learned from the principal of Angel Oak Elementary that many children’s last real meal of the week was the free lunch they received at school on Friday—and they often went hungry until Monday’s breakfast. Terry and Theresa knew they had to act. With the help of Cary McGann as their first shopper, the Backpack Buddy Program was born. They began by packing weekend food bags for 25 children out of their homes. By 2019, the program had grown to serving over 400 children weekly at three local schools. In 2015, Theresa and Terry also launched the Teen Holiday Project to provide gifts for middle and high school students at Haut Gap Middle and St. John’s High—an age group often overlooked by traditional Angel Tree and Salvation Army programs. Over time, KWF also developed an Emergency Fund, giving school social workers and counselors a way to request help for families facing urgent crises such as fires, sudden loss of housing, or the death of a parent. Guided by school counselors and administrators, the Kiawah Women’s Foundation continues to grow in meaningful ways, always staying true to the original mission of ensuring that no local child goes without the essentials needed to learn, thrive, and feel supported.