Page 126 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2023

BACOT FOUNDATION OF SOUTH MISSISSIPPI
228.217.5791 BacotFoundation.org
Facebook @bacotfoundationms
AMANDA RAY, Community Development Director TERI L. FREITAS, Administrative Assistant
Amanda Ray has always wanted to make a difference in and give back to her community. She wanted to make an impact on the Coast as it grows and develops. She wanted to be a part of helping it continue to thrive for the future leaders of her community.
As a social worker, Ray has the heart and passion to help others and serve her community. She took a leap of faith when deciding to work for the Bacot Foundation of South Mississippi.
“It is an honor to serve and make a difference
in people’s lives on a daily basis,” she says. “I get to go home every day knowing that I have made an impact in someone’s life. That truly is a gift.”
Teri L. Freitas has been in an administrative role for most of her career. “I have worked for the government, a hospital, a couple of technology companies, a chain restaurant, and
an environmental engineering consulting firm, just to name a few,” She says.
A tribute to her expertise, she was hired on the spot to join the Bacot Foundation of South
Mississippi three years ago as a temporary employee to organize the Jolly Silent Auction pick-
up at the Bacot office. “That turned into a part- time position, and then a full-time position,” says
Freitas. “This fall I will be taking a grant writing course and begin writing grants for the Foundation.”
VANESSA BENSON
STUMP N GRIND LLC
228.547.3861 | www.stumpngrindms.com
Trees are an integral part of our environment, not only providing the air we breathe, but helping with everything from combating climate change to providing habitats for wildlife.
Vanessa Benson, owner of Stump N Grind LLC alongside her husband, Mike, knows these facts all too well. Coming from
a background in real estate, she joined Mike’s tree business and pursued both careers while her passion for arboriculture bloomed. Today, she mans the helm and is not only an ISA Certified Arborist, but has attained her tree surgeon license in Mississippi and is a licensed tree arborist in Louisiana.
In addition to the standard trimming, removal, and stump grinding services they offer, Stump N Grind specializes in preventative tree care and emergency storm work. “As vital as trees are to people and the environment, they can be equally damaging and destructive – something we see firsthand during storm season,” Vanessa says. “The work we do every day is a balance between protecting the planet and people.”
126 | September 2023 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living