The sixth annual United Way event recognizing women who serve in the Gwinnett community by giving of their time, treasures, talents and legacies through service was recently held at the Evergreen Hotel in Stone Mountain. Demetrius Jordan, area director for the United Way in Gwinnett and North Fulton presented the newly named “Anna Shackelford Legacy Award” first of all to Anna Shackelford who epitomizes all that was being honored in the 4 women chosen for each category. Demetrius aptly described Anna as “one who truly brings the word legacy to life”.
Here are this year's four Legacy Award recipients:
Legacy - Beauty Baldwin
Beauty Baldwin always knew that she wanted to teach school and after being hired to teach in Gwinnett County Public Schools she quickly rose to the position of assistant principal at Central Gwinnett High and was later recruited by Buford City Schools as principal of Buford Middle. Ms. Baldwin made history , in 1984, as the first black female school superintendent in Georgia, a position in Buford City Schools that she held for 10 years before retiring.
Even in retirement, Ms. Baldwin's contributions to education continue as she serves as head administrator at the Hopewell Christian Academy, which she opened in 1997.
Talent - Chaiwon Kim
An immigrant herself, Ms. Kim's talent has been spent assisting others within Gwinnett's Asian-American community.
After volunteering for six years with the Center for Pan Asian American Community Service, she was named the organization's executive director, a position held for the past 19 years. Ms. Kim founded Gwinnett County's first medical clinic specially equipped to meet the linguistic and cultural needs of Asian-American women and children seeking health care. Ms. Kim also launched the state's first support group for Korean breast cancer survivors and established Rainbow Heights in Snellville, a low-income senior housing complex for Asian residents.
In 2009, Ms. Kim's goal of opening a shelter from domestic violence for Asian-American women became a reality with Gwinnett County's Hana House, the first shelter of its kind in the state.
Treasure - Sandra Strickland
When Gwinnett Medical Center announced its plans to build a second tower on its central Gwinnett campus, Sandra Strickland and her husband, Clyde, made a donation of $1 million toward the construction.
Patients undergoing treatment for cancer at Gwinnett Medical have also benefited from Strickland's giving. Mrs. Strickland helps fund the patient navigator program at the hospital. A patient navigator assists patients in dealing with their diagnoses, figuring out insurance issues and locating resources.
Time - Pat Swan
Since moving to Gwinnett County in 1978, Pat Swan's mark has been left on the countless committees for which she has served, events she has helped organize and causes for which she has volunteered.
After retiring two years ago from her job as an operating room nurse, Ms. Swan has continued to be a very busy lady. The Lilburn Cooperative Ministry, annual Lilburn Daze, Relay for Life, Dream House 4 Kids, the Hudgens Center for the Arts, the Gwinnett Leadership Program, the Junior Achievement Program at Arcado Elementary and a host of other Gwinnett organizations and agencies have benefited throughout the past couple years from the Lilburn resident's gift of her time.
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