Who We Are

Committed to empowering parents and building healthier communities.

Meet Our Team

Paulette Zimmerman, Southport, NC

President

Robert Pichette, Southport, NC

Treasurer

Diane Saulo, Southport, NC

Secretary

Delane Olsen

Delane Olson, Southport, NC

Director

Dr. Lavar Marlow, Carolina Shores, NC

Director

Onya Gardner, Boiling Spring Lakes, NC

Director

Staff

DeRee Jackson

Executive Director

Kristia Merriam

Program Manager

Alyssa Georgevich

Alyssa Georgevich

Administrative Support, Resource Center Coordinator

Simple line art of a landscape

Open

Volunteer Coordinator

Finding a Passion

The church challenged members to find their passion. Four women came together and discovered they had a passion for helping female adolescents. In researching the issues related to this group, they learned that teen pregnancy was a significant and growing problem in Brunswick County.

Additionally, they found that while services existed for pregnant and parenting teens, these programs primarily focused on physical and educational needs. The women believed strongly that a more holistic approach was needed—similar to the concept of “it takes a village.”

The Founding of Samara’s Village

The founders chose the name Samara’s Village because it means “under God’s protection.” According to founder Donna Robey-Sullivan:

“We wanted to operate under the notion that ‘it takes a village’ to raise a child. Our goal is to provide a nonjudgmental support system that focuses on the entire family unit—not just the pregnant and parenting teen. We do this by empowering, educating, and supporting the pregnant/parenting adolescent mother and the baby’s father so that they can be in control of their lives, raise healthy babies, and grow into productive and responsible adults in Brunswick County.”

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Elderly woman in nature setting

Donna Robey-Sullivan

Woman in jeans and silk top outside

Katherine White

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Jean-Marie Lee

Woman standing in a forested area

Jame Meirs