Southern Living editor-in-chief Sid Evans last summer, celebrated writer Julia Reed described the first holiday gathering she hosted in her Greenville, Mississippi cottage: There was lots of food, lots of booze, and lots of people I love. It s a fitting description of the Delta-born storyteller s lively approach to playing hostess something she did often and well until she passed away in August 2020, following a battle with cancer. Before she died, and in keeping with her great love for people and her philanthropic spirit, Reed established a charitable trust to continue her support of the missions and organizations she held dear.