Page 125 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2025

Amy Bateson
Vice President, Trustmark Bank Community Relationship Manager- MS Gulf Coast
Karen Sock
President and CEO, Sock Enterprises, Inc. Co-founded and Developed Pathways2Possibilities:P2P
Closet to provide beds for children in need, and GivHer Circle members Amy Bateson, Eileen Whittemore, and Lisa Bradley were all instrumental in making the grant possible.
“One donation might not do much on its own, but when you put it with someone else’s, it can do a whole lot more,” said Bateson.
The GivHer Circle is a collective giving opportunity through the Foundation, with the goal of getting 100 women to join
to create five $20,000 grants to support smaller nonprofits on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Karen Sock partners with the Foundation through her work with Pathways to Possibilities, a career exploration program for eighth graders. “The Foundation has been integral to our programming from the beginning,” said Sock.
Eileen Whittemore and Dorothy Roberts also created scholarship funds with the Foundation.
The Lawrence and Lucimarian Roberts Scholarship Fund was established in 2002 to help individuals further their education in human service professions such as psychology, counseling, social work, or other majors in the behavioral health
and science field. The fund was created to honor the legacy of her parents. “The Foundation had the infrastructure, the right people, and the heart to carry our mission forward,” remarked Roberts.
The Eileen S. and Earl C. Whittemore Scholarship Fund was established in 2008 to provide an annual scholarship to a nurse enrolled in an accredited nurse practitioner program in Mississippi.
These women embody the power of collective impact, proving that when passion meets purpose, philanthropy can truly transform lives.
Lisa Bradley
Manager, Stakeholder Engagement Ingalls Shipbuilding
Dorothy Roberts
Owner/Designer Robin’s Nest in the Pass & Roberts Place Café
Eileen Whittemore, RN
CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer) of WOW (Women of Wisdom) Gulf Coast
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
September 2025 | 125
11975 Seaway Rd., # B150, Gulfport 228.897.4841 | www.mgccf.org