HOLDEN BEACH, N.C. — Ouida Hewitt has been a community activist in the Brunswick Islands area her entire life. For years she served as the executive director of the Brunswick Family Assistance Agency, which remains a vital lifeline for individuals in need of food and assistance. While Brunswick boasts of some of the highest growth rates among any county in the United States, services for impoverished families or for those suffering from mental illness are severely limited. Faith-based organizations, in which Hewitt plays a big part, have stepped in to fill in the gaps but still many must make their way to Wilmington in order to find essential services like counseling and community support.