Posts

Estate Planning Leaving a Legacy for your Loved Ones part 4 - By Natricia Edwards

Image
  There are two types of life insurance, Term and Permanent.  Three types of permanent insurance are Whole Life, Universal Life, and Variable Universal Life.   The recommended type of insurance is Term Life Insurance.  You pay what is called a premium for the insurance policy that you select.  When you choose the Term Life Policy, you receive more value from the premiums you pay than with Permanent Life Insurance Policy. With a Term Life Policy, you can lock in a premium from anywhere between 1 to 30 years depending on the policy. The only thing you must remember is that your premium can increase when it is time to renew it. It is typically recommended that you obtain coverage when you are younger, and lock in an affordable rate at that time. The older you are, the higher the premiums are. Whole Life is a popular form of Permanent Insurance, that Dave Ramsey does not recommend. It is sold as a cash value policy. This means that as you pay your premiums the policy accumulates value. You

Jesse Edwards- The Southern Migrant by Renardo L. Edwards

Image
Jesse Edwards The Southern Migrant By Renardo Edwards There are people whom are a living history and a bridge from the past to the present and one of those people is our very own Family Patriarch, Jesse Edwards. Jesse is the third child of Cora and Thomas Edwards he was born on December 21 1941 in Potter Station, Alabama. Jesse early childhood was one of a happy child even though he was raised in the Jim Crow south. Family was very important in those days much of one’s socialization and education was formed in a tight knit family village, listening to him reminisce how they all live and work together was something of amazement and wonder. Gone are those days. Jesse has an injured shoulder sadly an injury he had involving my dad and cousin Mary, to think that he fell off a wagon and suffered and injury that bad but he refused to tell his parents to get better medical help, this showed me the toughness this man had even as a little child.  1940’s Alabama was a different time this was bef

Estate Planning - Leaving a Legacy for your Loved Ones Part 3 - By Natricia Edwards

Image
  Your first step should be to get a will.  There are websites you can visit to obtain a will for a fee.  Another option is www.freewill.com.  This website allows you to draft a simple will for free.  You can take the will to a notary (located at banks, libraries, or, if you are in the military, a legal office). If you use the freewill.com website, remember that you need to have it notarized and signed by several witnesses before it can be considered legal.  Your next step should be to get term life insurance. There are several types of life insurance. I will discuss the other types in the next article and why you should avoid them. A lot of people have insurance from their jobs. Having insurance while you are working at your job is a good thing. Many companies offer very affordable insurance policies. However, you should not rely on their insurance alone.  You need your own personal insurance policy, so that in the event that you are offered another job, or you lose your current job,

Felicia Gill Bio- Career Advisor at Calhoun Community College part 5 of 5

Image
People always ask me, “Why non-profits?” My answer: Don’t let the non in non-profits fool you. All the money in the world is tied up in Non-profits. Any cooperation you can name has a 501 (C)(3), a non-profit status attached to it. Non-profits will never go broke. There will always be money and resources for the poor. Being currently employed by Alabama Community College Systems at Calhoun Community College as a Career Advisor and prior employment at Concordia College Alabama as an Academic Advisor has afforded me the opportunity to have more tools in my tool box. My area of expertise consist of:  • Career Advising (Your Interest can be your income) • Career Exploration • Resume reviews and resume writing • College entry resume  • Mock Interview • Academic Advisor • “What Can I do with my Major” • Networking • Changing Careers • Learning Disabilities and resources So, if you are thinking about a higher education, go for it! You are never too old.  Just know that bei

Felicia Gill Bio- Career Advisor at Calhoun Community College part 4 of 5

Image
Selma AIR allowed my mother to do that for me. Momma never drove, so she had someone to pick us up to take me “us” to work and to pick us up after work. When I felt good enough to get out into the communities (8 counties in very rural parts of the Black Belt of Alabama) to educate, test and get those infected into care.  Mom got me my first cell phone which I still have the number for until this very day to stay in touch with me while on the road.  I stayed with Selma AIR for almost 12 years. One day when Selma AIR was being audited, AIDS Alabama stopped the auditing process, and asked to interview me for a career opportunity with AIDS Alabama working from the top of the state to the bottom because of my outstanding work at Selma AIR. I accepted the offer to move to Birmingham, Alabama to work at AIDS Alabama. I decided on my last day with Selma AIR not to go to Birmingham due to the gang activity in the city.  I was not willing to take a chance on losing my son to gang violence. My so

Felicia Gill Career Advisor at Calhoun Community College Bio part 3 of 5

Image
As soon as I received the degree in my hand, I asked myself, “What can I do with this degree? My answer to self, “Not anything”. While my mother was the only one who was proud of me and my accomplishment. I felt unaccomplished.  All that went through my head that day, May 12, 1999 was this degree means nothing. I wanted more, but struggled with math. I always thought of myself becoming a Social Worker. I looked for the best way to become a Social Worker without going through anymore math. By this time, I’m feeling as though I’m at least 15 years behind.  Once again, printed in the Selma Times Journal was an announcement about Faulkner University holding classes to earn a BS degree in Management of Human Resources in one year. I’m like close enough to Social Work for me. I enrolled in that rigorous one year program. While in the program, I landed a job, contingent upon earning my degree, at Selma AIDS Information and Referral Services as the HIV / AIDS Education Coordinator and Communit

Felicia Gill- Career Advisor at Calhoun Community College Bio part 2 of 5

Image
I was born without a fully developed right hip. During my recovery process from “Bone Displeasure surgery” I attended Selma University, a couple of doors down from our home house for a semester or two before transferring.  Our family was members of Ward Chapel A.M.E Church where higher education was promoted. I decided to attend one of our church's schools, Paul Quinn College in Waco, Texas, Dear old Paul Quinn. I survived two years there, because again, I didn’t have a plan for college, plus I was very homesick and wanted to be with my momma because she was home in Selma alone.  I could not bear the thoughts of my momma at home by herself, plus I felt a sense of safety when I was with or around my mother. Maybe it was because my mother was my biggest and greatest supporter ever. It was my mother that pushed me towards greatness even when I didn’t see my way through. One thing my mother taught us all, (sisters and brothers) was to be the best at whatever we did, and I must say, we