After retiring as a clinical instructor at UNC Chapel Hill, Celeste Kenney and her husband wanted to move somewhere warm. They traveled the southern part of the East Coast, landed in Carolina Beach, and built their house in 2019. Knowing she wanted to get involved in her new community, Celeste reached out to Island Women and the Pleasure Island Sea Turtle Project. She’s been involved with both ever since.
“I enjoyed the contact I had with people in those organizations,” she said. “That’s what got me hooked. Meeting people on the Island and doing things for people.”
Almost immediately, Celeste was impressed to learn how much Island Women raised and how much they gave back to the community. “It was clear to me that the organization doesn’t just talk about doing things, they really act on what they say they are trying to do.”
Soon, Celeste was offering her services to Island Women wherever she was needed, helping with Martha’s Kitchen, taking meals to people, and working the summer markets at the lake. She also participated in fun events, like the dragon boat race.
“In the beginning, I didn’t commit to a certain committee; I tried different ones. I wanted to see what else might be interesting.”
Eventually, Celeste joined the literacy committee because it felt like a good fit with her background. “By then, I was on the Carolina Beach Mural Project board.” She suggested that the literacy committee make the murals kid-friendly. The Smart Art Kids Mural Walks was born. Now, families can click on a QR code at 10 of the 21 murals and use the content and activities created by the literacy committee to expose their children to art while learning about Carolina Beach’s history.
Celeste understands that most people join Island Women because they want to meet people, and the social activities are great for that. “But you can have just as much fun volunteering,” she said. “When we did our activities for the murals, it was so much fun. We got together, we brainstormed, we shared the load.”
Celeste encourages people new to Island Women to explore different opportunities so they can find what works for them and use their skills. Although she didn’t have a mentor, she thinks new members should take advantage of that opportunity as well.