BY TERI R. WILLIAMS PHOTOS BY DAPHNE WALKER
Home is
Where the
Heart Gives
A long way from where she grew up, Ivette Torres is now
thankful to call Toombs County her community and home.
In 2012, Ivette Torres left Puerto Rico and moved to Lyons,
Georgia, to work for Chicken of the Sea. “I had been Production
Manager at Bumble Bee in Puerto Rico, so I had the experience
they were looking for to take the position as Assistant
Production Manager,” said Ivette. “But my greatest concern was
for my children.” At the time, her son Henry was twelve and her
daughter Yinalie was three. “I didn’t know what was available for them
here, and it was important to me that they have access to activities.”
Henry, who was already bilingual, quickly made new friends at J.
R. Trippe. “When he got to high school, he joined the Junior ROTC
program and loved it. He did that all through high school and signed
up with the Army Reserve while he was still in school. After high
school, he went through basic training.” Just before he was to start
college at Georgia Southern, he was deployed to Iraq. “After Iraq, he
was sent to Kuwait.” Ivette was overjoyed by her son’s unexpected
return home this past September with the news that his deployment
was over. “Because of COVID, some of the missions were downsized.”
She smiled. “I was overjoyed to see him. He plans to start college in
January.”
The transition to Lyons for three-year-old Yinalie was easily made.
At six, Ivette started her daughter in ballet at Vidalia Ballet. The
following year, she became a part of the Vidalia Ballet Competition
team where she continues to excel.
Opportunities such as these convinced Ivette that the move had
been a good decision for her children. “We have activities available
to grow our kids in different areas and give them the opportunity to
participate and be a part of something that also represents who we are.
That’s what I love about this community.”
Ivette enjoyed her work at Chicken of the Sea and was promoted
to Material Management Manager in 2017. Although her children had
made connections in the community, it wasn’t until Ivette participated
in the 2019-2020 class of Leadership Toombs-Montgomery that she
found her own place of connection through service in the community.
“As a participant, I had the opportunity to see the economic and
social projects taking place in our county and met some of the amazing
people that make it happen.” One of those people was Clint Hutcheson,
the Director of Education and Ministry at Mercy Ministries. “Clint was
the coach for my group,” said Ivette. “When I learned about the Faith
92 TOOMBS COUNTY MAGAZINE