“If you’re not in a position where you feel like you can raise your voice to support the Hispanic community, then give your money. Realistically, it takes money to keep this work going. It is important and it needs to happen.”
Sally Wills doesn’t mince words.
As the Executive Director of LiveWell Greenville—a coalition working to provide equitable access to healthy foods and physical activity across Greenville County—she’s spent years building bridges between organizations, systems, and communities. And her partnership with Hispanic Alliance? It’s personal.
“I got involved right after I moved back from Mexico,” Sally explains. “I had that connection to Hispanic people, having experienced living in another country.”
The Power of Lived Experience
Sally’s time in Mexico gave her something many advocates lack: firsthand understanding of what it’s like to be the outsider.
“I got to experience the healthcare system there. So it gave me a unique perspective—what it’s like to navigate systems like healthcare, like a new community, in a language you don’t understand.”
That experience shapes everything she brings to the table. She doesn’t have to imagine what it’s like to feel lost in bureaucracy, to struggle with medical forms in an unfamiliar language, to wonder if you’re being heard. She’s lived it.
And when she returned to the U.S. and became involved with LiveWell Greenville, the connection to HA’s work was immediate.
“I had the opportunity to see where our work connects. Our community members are really important to us. We know they make this community richer—and that’s the part we’re leaning into and want to support. It makes this partnership so much more meaningful and important.”
A Partnership Forged in Crisis
Hispanic Alliance’s partnership with LiveWell deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic, when food insecurity and health disparities hit Hispanic families especially hard. Sally and her team didn’t just show up—they stayed. They adapted. They listened to what families needed and adjusted their approach accordingly.
That’s what true partnership looks like: not just showing up when it’s convenient, but digging in when it’s hard. Not imposing solutions, but co-creating them with the communities you serve.
“Realistically, now more than ever, we need folks to join us at the table,” Sally says with urgency.
Use Your Voice—Or Support with Your Gift
Sally’s call to action is one of the clearest, most direct in this entire campaign:
“What we need are voices. We all have power. We all have a voice, and it is the time to use it.”
But then she goes further:
“And if you are not in a position where you feel like you can raise your voice to support the things that are important to the Hispanic community—to LiveWell Greenville, to those working in this space—then give your money. Because realistically, it takes money to keep this work going. It is important and it needs to happen.”
No apologies. No soft-pedaling. Just truth: This work requires resources. If you believe in it, fund it.
A Vision for 15 Years from Now
Sally’s hope for the future is both aspirational and grounded:
“My hope is that in 15 years, we’ve accomplished some of these goals we’ve put out on paper. Making it easier for people to assimilate into this community. Feeling a great sense of belonging. Being open to sharing different cultures and languages. Really being connected to one another as human beings—that’s where we all wanna be.”
She pauses, then adds with characteristic honesty:
“I’d love to say we were there and we’ve worked ourselves out of a job. But if not, it’ll be time to pass the baton to the next person.”
That’s the mark of true servant leadership—working not for recognition, but for the day when the work is no longer needed. Or, at minimum, ensuring the next generation is ready to carry it forward.
“The reality is we’re all just humans, and we really wanna see how we can thrive and flourish as a community. We are better when we’re more diverse. We’re better when we’re more welcoming.”
The Time Is Now
Sally’s story is a rallying cry and reminds us that good intentions without action don’t change anything. Use your voice. Show up at meetings. Advocate for policy change. Support organizations doing this work. And if you can’t do those things right now—give your money.
Because Hispanic Alliance, LiveWell Greenville, and every organization working toward equity can’t run on goodwill alone. They need fuel. They need resources. They need people who believe enough to invest.
Your gift keeps this partnership strong. Your gift ensures families have access to healthy food, healthcare navigation, and systems that actually work for them. Your gift says: I’m at the table, and I’m staying.
