Terence Connelly spent 42 years installing and maintaining telephone systems. Now in his retirement he spends some of his free time answering the telephone at Hope Harbor Home. “I’ll do whatever you need,” is what he said when he responded to the call for volunteers five years ago. It’s a perfect match. His voice carries pleasant vibes, and he wants to help other people. He takes messages and directs callers to appropriate destinations three hours twice a week. HHH’s mission has special meaning to Terence because he saw results of an abusive relationship. “I remember the fragility of the little woman, the sadness,” he said of the daughter of a neighbor. “I’d see her coming and going. I thought how cowardly it was to abuse this woman.” He emphasizes how important it is for people to understand that help is right here in Brunswick County. “There is some place you can go to. You don’t have to stay and be abused,” he said. “I see clients coming here and being taken care of. I know that the women are in a safe place.” Terence has seen how desperate some women are to escape their abusers. One time a cab pulled up to HHH and a woman got out dressed in a hospital gown. She carried a shopping bag with her personal possessions. She was too frightened of the man who had shot her to take time to change at the hospital before she reached safety. Terence grew up in Bayside, Queens, N. Y. He decided college didn’t fit his goals, so he joined the Marine Corps and served for three years. When he and his wife, Virginia, decided to escape the hustle/bustle and weather in New York, they started investigating the South. They discovered St. James Plantation in Southport and moved there in 2000. Their blended family of six children and five grandchildren are spread from Santa Ana, Calif. to Charlotte, N.C. to Strasburg, Pa. to Long Island and Queens. Terence, 76, enjoys playing tennis and has run marathons. He became interested in running when he was helping his son distribute water at the New York City marathon several years ago. He was overweight and a chain smoker. His son turned to him and said, “You could never do this,” meaning, his father could never run a marathon. That’s all Terence needed. “I threw my cigarettes away. I lost 30 pounds, and ran the New York marathon the following year,” he said. Eight more marathons and one triathlon followed. Another interest Terence developed years ago is making decorative items comprised of stained glass. He doesn’t recall how he got started, but he expanded his talent by taking classes at the senior center in Southport. Terence is happy he volunteers at HHH. “I like the fact that I’m helping out. The staff doesn’t have to interrupt sessions with clients. They don’t have to stop what they’re doing.”