Rob and Lauren Bazemore are the kind of down-to-earth people you just want to hang out with. When they moved to Hilton Head from Boston in 2022, they didn’t just unpack their boxes—they unpacked their hearts, seeking to immediately make an impact in the Southern Lowcountry.
Rob, who grew up in Savannah, has a soft spot for the area. “I’ve always called the Lowcountry home, I’ve come here my whole life. I’ve seen Bluffton when it was tiny and Hilton Head when it was half full,” he reflected. “Once we made Hilton Head home … we said we want to be a part of making sure all of the community grows, not just part of it.”
Lauren, equally passionate, adds: “You really don’t understand the needs of a community until you live there. People move here because of that Lowcountry feel, so it’s up to all of us to support that. And I think that’s best done by supporting local community needs.”
One of their favorite ways to help is through Coastal Community Foundation (CCF). They love its hands-on approach and commitment to listening to the community. One standout project is the Southern Lowcountry’s Catalyst Grant Program, which, in partnership with the Bazemores and others, helped bring the nonprofit Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) to the region.
EforAll helps underrepresented individuals start and grow businesses. With CCF’s Catalyst Grant of $425,000 over five years, EforAll has made a significant impact. “Small business is the heartbeat of America,” Lauren says. “Economic mobility can be life-changing and even generation-changing.”
For the Bazemores, giving back is second nature. “We have not had money and we’ve had money; we know how that feels, and we know that if we can, we should help,” Lauren explains.
Their own small business, Wine Time Bluffton, also gives back. Through their “Buck-a-Bottle, Buck-a-Battle” program, they donate a portion of sales to a local nonprofit each month (including Lowcountry Autism Foundation and Tunnel-to-Towers Lowcountry). In 2023, the initiative raised over $12K, earning them the 2023 Community Philanthropy Award from the Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce’s Golden Oyster Awards.
Reflecting on CCF’s 50-year milestone, Lauren points out, “CCF continues to exist because donors find value in what it does.” Rob agrees: “The need will never go away, it just changes. So, keep doing the things that you’re doing; understanding what those needs are and engaging people to help solve them, and that’s how you make the world a better place.”
