Christina was a member of the Interact Club throughout high school, and through that club, actively volunteered with CAPA. Years before, in 1985, her mother and friends had helped construct and open CAPA’s shelter for abused and neglected children. At a very early age, she saw firsthand how a community comes together to help those in need.

Christina met her future husband, Jason Wilson, a deputy at the Beaufort Sherriff’s Department in 1997. Christina was a junior at Clemson and after graduating, she and Jason married in 2000. With Jacob, Jason’s son, the Wilsons became a family of three.

In April of 2003, Christina and Jason learned that she had family members in foster care. After a very brief discussion, they agreed they could not leave the children in that situation. In October of that year, Christina and Jason took custody of Cady (seventeen months) and Emmy (five months). The couple formally adopted the girls in April of 2005. And just like that, they were a family of five. Meanwhile, the girls’ siblings, Ashleigh and Aidan were born, and both entered foster care in 2007. After years long court battles, attorneys and legal fees, the Wilsons were able to bring the children to join their sisters in Beaufort in October 2009, on Christina’s birthday. The Wilsons were determined to adopt and become a family of seven.

For years, Christina and Jason consistently battled the system to keep the children together and out of harms way. Since college, Christina had been a real estate paralegal and loved her job but began to evaluate her life’s purpose as the battle with the children dragged on year after year. After a decade long journey through the Florida foster care system, she knew she wanted to fight for kids without a voice; and she could not do it with just her Financial Management degree. She decided to go back to school and received her master’s in public administration from South University with the intent of moving to Florida and becoming an advocate for children, just like her own.

But that plan was put on hold when the position of Executive Director for CAPA opened in her hometown. After nearly 30 years, Susan Cato had announced her retirement and the Board of Directors were looking for someone to carry on the work of the organization. For months, Christina mulled over applying for the position, honestly believing she wasn’t qualified without a master’s in social work (MSW). And she jokingly says, “I couldn’t kill CAPA. It meant too much to my family, my friends and my past.”

While interviewing for the position, Christina was asked some tough questions. One of the board members looked at her and explained the number of applicants who were more qualified than her and asked why she would be a better fit than any of the others. Without hesitation she said, “Because I wake up every day with the scars of abuse and neglect in my own home. The only way to stop that is to prevent abuse it in the first place.”

Christina was offered the position and after weeks of consideration, finally turned to prayer and followed the words of 1 Chronicles 28:20, “Then David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.” She accepted the job in September, 2014. Later that month, Christina and Jason adopted Ashleigh and Aidan after seven long years.

Christina now had her dream job and her family of seven. In 2019, the Wilson family lost a member of their beloved family. Emmy was tragically killed in a traffic accident on Lady’s Island. Christina, Jason, and their children were forever changed. Their faith in God and the support of Beaufort’s loving community helped them through their pain. To honor Emmy’s giving nature, the family decided to create a local day of kindness. They call it #ElfingforEmmy. On December 17 of each year, the community is asked to perform one act of kindness and share it on social media with the holiday hashtag. In its inaugural year, hundreds of people in Beaufort participated in the spirit of giving, whether it was paying for the person behind them in the drive thru or giving their server an extra big tip.

These random acts of kindness are unconditional forms of love, given without the intention of receiving in return. It is the community’s way of remembering Emmy, and the Wilsons hope that the community will forever pay it forward in her name every year. CAPA is where Christina is meant to be. The revered organization is now serving more kids than ever. They have increased their staff, grown its thrift store enterprise, and added two new programs to include family foster care. Additionally, CAPA introduced the popular fundraiser, Dancing with Our Stars. In its first year, CAPA made a goal to raise $10,000 pairing professional dancers with local “star” residents. They raised $47,000 that year. Today, it raises that nearly four-fold. “Since coming onboard at CAPA, I haven’t felt like I’ve worked a day in my life,” smiles Christina.

Christina knows God has a plan for her and her family. She has walked through fires to save her own children as well as the children CAPA is so fortunate to serve. There truly is no one better suited for her role as Executive Director. And there is certainly no one better suited for her role as wife and mother. She has devoted her life to the most vulnerable of children among us, and Beaufort is fortunate to have her as our neighbor.