She was born in Birmingham, Ala., on Dec. 3, 1938. She operated her business, Annette’s Beauty Nook, in her home at 1320 S. Henderson St., from 1974-1983. She also was employed by Carl Sandburg College as a substitute cosmetology teacher. She moved her business to Abron’s Hair Design and worked there until she retired in July 2004. Annette Edwards was pastor of The New Testament Church of Jesus Christ, Galesburg, which she founded in 1989. At the time of her death, she was retired from her church.

Pastor Edwards is survived by her mother, Virginia Crawley Maddox; son, Victor LaMont Edwards, Seattle, Wash.; five grandchildren, Annette Marie, Jaren, Cory, Bren’ee and Peyton; four stepgrandchildren, Alfred Brown, Ashley Edwards, DJ Ridge and Erica Rosignol; eight great-grandchildren; sister, Brenda Crawley, two brothers, Walter Crawley and Bennie Maddox, all of Chicago; and a host of other relatives, friends and colleagues in the ministry. She was preceded in death by her husband, Otis James Edwards; son, Byron James Edwards; her father, Walter Crawley; and her stepfather, James “Pops” Maddox.

Sincerely yours in Christ Jesus Vitaly and Sveta.

That change — focusing on long-term changes rather than quick-fix measures for the homeless — has another social service agency concerned about meeting needs this winter.

“I’m very saddened by all the difficulties Home Sweet Home is facing,” said Karen Zangerle, executive director of PATH, the agency that coordinates homeless services in the Twin Cities and oversees Compassion Center, which offers daytime services.

“They (Home Sweet Home) are really the only source of beds for women and children,” Zangerle said. “I’m very concerned about what’s going to happen this winter if they are down by half.”

While PATH has some federal money to put homeless in a hotel for a night or two, Zangerle said if there are a lot of needs, the money will be gone “very, very quickly.”

But Bob Beerup, president of Home Sweet Home’s board of directors, said “There are no plans to abandon temporary services” and he doesn’t think there will be an issue meeting the winter needs of the homeless.

Rus Kinzinger, chief executive officer of Home Sweet Home, agreed even though the mission is serving only 40 to 50 adults a night, below its 110 capacity.

“The winter is a time when our numbers are the least,” Kinzinger said.

On average the mission serves about 258 people a month, he said. The numbers dip to as low as 234 a month in the winter, he added.

“As CEO, if there is an urgent need in the community to provide services in the winter, we would shift our priorities and do that. We’re not going to let the need go unmet,” he said.

Kinzinger believes the shift in the Home Sweet Home mission is what its donors want. But he also admitted it was prompted by the three-year deficit. According to tax forms, Home Sweet Home reported a deficit of $333,761 in fiscal year 2004-2005 (from July 1, 2004, to June 30, 2005) and $454,858 in fiscal year 2005-06.

Kinzinger said the agency currently is undergoing an audit of its financial statements for fiscal year 2006-07, so that report is not available. However, he said, it, too, will show a deficit estimated at about $200,000.

“We are now operating on a balanced budget,” Kinzinger said of fiscal year 2007-08, which is only about three months old.

Kinzinger said the agency consciously went into debt for Threshold, a multi-month program designed to help homeless people become independent. Agency officials hoped federal grants and community donations would erase the deficit but the grants that were promised did not come through.

In late spring, officials decided staff would have to be laid off to make up for the deficit. The lack of staff led to serving fewer people.

Julie Roth, director of client services at Home Sweet Home, said the agency had about nine social service associates, case managers and counselors the first of the year. There now are 4 ½ employees in that area — only two of which are full-time.

Roth said only one staff member and one work-study student is at the shelter in the evenings and on weekends.

“That’s the absolute minimum in my eyes,” Roth said.

She estimated she would need at least an additional $100,000 to bring staff to its full level for a year.

Kinzinger said even with additional money, the new focus of the mission would remain. And, although Kinzinger will only be head of the agency until July when he retires, he apparently has the backing of the board.

“The board continually thinks and prays about how to articulate our mission and vision,” said Beerup.

The board has focused on that in depth lately, Beerup said, so it will have a mission in place before it seeks a new CEO — something that is expected to start by the first of next month.

“Do today’s realities still take the same approach?” he asked. “Is our mission the same?”

Like Kinzinger, the board seems to be leaning toward a blend of Home Sweet Home’s current programs: Threshold, which has graduated 22 out of the 90 people who have enrolled; and its temporary shelter program, which offers shelter for one night or a few.

Roth said the agency relies heavily on volunteers to offer programs that can lead to long-term solutions for the homeless it serves. Volunteers offer parenting classes, some are mentors, and others offer activity classes. Some State Farm volunteers help with filling out job applications or creating a resume, she said.

“It comes down to where can we have our greatest impact with finite dollars,” Kinzinger said. “It’s the best of Threshold, the best of temporary services.”

She was born Jan. 17, 1944, in Memphis, Tenn., daughter of Johnny Eziel Danrich and Eleanor Pierson Danrich.

Georgia was educated in the St. Louis public school system, where she attended Patrick Henry Elementary School and Sumner High School. She continued to pursue her educational goals and was attending Heartland Community College majoring in early childhood development at the time of her death.

Georgia met and married Winston Shaw and from this union two daughters and four sons were born, all of whom survive her, including Stacy Yvette Shaw Cameron; Winston Maurice and Vincent Maurice Shaw; Brian Anthony Shaw; Dorothy Jeanette Shaw Johnson; and Benny Chandler Shaw.

Georgia and her husband also took a parental interest in one of her younger cousins, Leverta Stevenson Peeples and raised her as one of their own.

She was preceded in death by both parents and an infant son, Vincent Maurice Shaw.

In addition to her children and their spouses, she leaves to cherish her memory 13 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two siblings, Johnny “Bud” Danrich and Shirley Ann Danrich-Sain; her loyal friend, sister and companion, Joann Rye; and other relatives and friends.

 Please pray GOD gives me all the desires of my heart that are righteous in GODs eyes,GOD sends me on the mission He has for me now,raises me a mile above those used by Satan to glorify GOD and GOD brings me the girl He has for me now.Thank You

“Remember that show Cheers with the theme song that went, ‘sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name’…..well, that’s what being at Lincoln is like for me. I was accepted at ISU but wanted to come here. Anyone who needs a little more help or time will find it here,” emphatically states non-traditional LCN student, Tiko Hardy.

At first, Tiko wasn’t sure about attending any college. A rough home life as a child contributed to her becoming a drop-out in the 9th grade. A single mom, on her own from her early teen years, she eventually obtained her GED and went on to become a retail manager. Despite this achievement, she didn’t see herself as the type of person who goes to college.

The encouragement of her husband, Bryant Hardy, with whom she’s been married for five years, helped change her mind. Bryant is also enrolled at Lincoln College-Normal in the Bachelor Program in Business. He told Tiko that “those who struggle the most, achieve the most. Let your struggle be your success.”

In coming to LCN, Tiko was surprised by the time and attention she found here. She commented that her advisor Stephanie Zimmerman spent two hours with her, explaining the college process and answering all her questions, never mentioning the time once.

Asked if she found an instructor or class here particularly interesting or challenging, Tiko responded, “I would do an injustice to esteem one instructor over any other. Everyone is great — everyone, without exception, drops what they’re doing if I have a question or a problem.”

Tiko did note something Mr. Jeff Kratz told her once – that she wasn’t paying for a degree, she was paying for a college education. That idea of becoming an educated person has stayed in her mind ever since, she said. To emphasize the point, she explained how she had gone from someone who had never read a book or even knew about the Holocaust to someone who has an appreciation for Elie Wiesel’s Night.

Tiko added that the Learning Resource Center has been a big help to her in pursuing this education. “The LRC here at Lincoln is very unique in its open door policy. It is there for the students, available any time, which is a big help for me with my busy schedule.”

For Tiko, that busy schedule includes not only college classes but also being a mom to two daughters, Shotika, thirteen, who helps her mom in math, Sierra, 10, and Bryant Jr., 8. Further, Tiko volunteers at the Path Crisis Center 3 hours a week and teaches Sunday School to high school aged youth at her church, combining lessons about everyday life skills with Christian principles.

In the future, Tiko hopes to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, eventually pursuing a career to encourage and develop programs for young single parents from disadvantaged backgrounds – to help them achieve the kind of success in life with which she feels she is now blessed.

I will be the speaker on August 10, and our choir should be prepared to sing. Service begins at 6:00pm. This will be a tent meeting (soul winning campaign).

Should Christ Temple be in their new building, they will combine this service with their grand opening.

Please plan on being there.

God bless,