In Atlanta society circles, Jennifer Brett is known simply as "The Butterfly."

She's the one at the cocktail party sipping club soda. Some nights, you may even see her with a cup of coffee or an energy drink. After all, a woman about town has to pace herself.

Anyone who reads Brett's twice-weekly Social Butterfly column in the AJC's Living section knows she has a grand time covering Atlanta's diverse and dynamic social scene.

This week's Butterfly mentions included mimosas and magnolias at the Atlanta Botantical Garden; a dine-out fund-raiser for Cabbagetown tornado victims; a book club in Henry County that raised $12,000 for literacy efforts in remote areas of Central Asia and a luncheon in Buckhead to benefit the Blue Heron Nature Reserve.

Oh, and did I mention an 80th birthday tribute for world-renowned poet Maya Angelou? That star-studded gathering benefited the Maya Angelou Teen Center at the Andrew & Walter Young Family YMCA in southwest Atlanta.

"I'm out a minimum of three to five times a week," she says. "There are plenty of times when I'm at three or four events a night."

Brett is the first to tell you that while Atlantans love to have fun, there is a definite purpose to the parties. Millions of dollars are raised to support countless causes.

Her column features the names and deeds of hundreds of people who work behind the scenes in Atlanta's philanthropic community. It's a diverse group and Brett is committed to reflecting that in her column. She's written about events benefiting the Mohammed School, YouthPride, the Association of Asian American Professionals, the Marcus Jewish Community Center and the National Coalition of Black Women.

"From the beginning I really wanted people to feel like they could see themselves or their neighbors or their kid's teacher or friends from church in this column," she said. "The cornerstone is to highlight some of the great work going on in Atlanta on behalf of charitable organizations. Atlanta has a really big heart."

A native of Rocky Mount, N.C., Brett grew up in a family where you were expected to give back. The former debutante grew up delivering flowers to people in hospitals and visiting folks in nursing homes. She's active in the Junior League and the local historical society. She and husband Charles Gay, an editor at the AJC, are members of First United Methodist Church in Marietta, where they have served as stewards and president of their Sunday school class.

"That involvement is good," she said. "It makes you a better journalist to be active outside the newspaper."

Brett is always on the hunt for a good news story or an interesting personality profile. A tour of The Shepherd Center led her to do a front-page story on an Iraqi officer who came to the center to exercise after being hospitalized there for his wounds. This summer, she'll travel to China to cover Atlantans at the Olympic Games.

Nearly a year ago, when the newspaper announced the addition of a society writer, a few readers questioned why we would devote space to what they considered a frivolous topic.

"Society coverage, well done, is an important part of the fabric of a community," said Mike Lupo, the AJC's managing editor for news and information. "Such coverage has never been absent from The New York Times.

"Our own research says that our most loyal readership are adults who are deeply involved in metro Atlanta's communities, organizations and events," he added. "We'd be remiss if we didn't cover these people and events. Metro Atlanta is more than crime, government and what happens in the halls of power."

Response to the column has been overwhelming. Brett receives invitations to people's homes, art galleries and church fellowship halls. She even received an invite to a country music-themed bridal shower. "I had some other events that night so I showed up in a ball gown, man, and I had a great time. I love the idea of really mixing it up — going to really big things, the small things and everything in between."

Joanne Chesler Gross, who left her corporate job several years ago to devote time to volunteering, said Brett's column provides "both a platform and a mirror for Atlanta. It's local folks working on local issues."

• Contact Angela Tuck by e-mail at insideajc@ajc.com, by phone at 404-526-5819 by fax at 404-526-5610 or by writing P.O. Box 4689, Atlanta, GA. 30302.