We’d like to introduce you to Frances Goodson, community leader, dedicated volunteer and Wesley Woods of Newnan resident. Here is her story.
A long-time friend of Mrs. Genet Barron, who was so instrumental in bringing Wesley Woods to Newnan, Frances Goodson first became associated with the Wesley Woods organization as a founding member of the Advisory Board more than 15 years before the current local facility ever existed. She had long foreseen the need for a continuing care retirement community in the Newnan-Peachtree City area. As one of those who planted the seeds for Wesley Woods of Newnan, Frances has watched it grow into a thriving community.
Frances continues to invest her time and energy into Wesley Woods in many ways, such as serving on the culinary committee, decorating committee and the plant oversight committee. But one of her most recognizable achievements is the creation and maintenance of The Wedgewood Boutique, an in-house store unlike any other.
Along with several other key recruits, Frances knows exactly how to shop for, buy and “deliver the goods” — not only to the residents of Wesley Woods, but also to the members of the community in Coweta County. What most people don’t know is that Frances did the same thing for her husband’s store in Franklin, Ga. for many years, while also working as a teacher full-time for more than 35 years. Now that she is “retired,” Frances has dropped the teaching profession to take the boutique world by storm. When she’s not driving to the Merchandise Mart in Atlanta to find the best bargains, she’s hauling all the goods back to Wesley Woods, storing them in all sorts of closets, pricing them for sale, and then rearranging the store’s display to make sure it always looks new and fresh.
Frances does this “work” not only as a service to the community but also because she loves it. She’s truly the embodiment of the volunteer spirit — someone who fills her calendar with giving to others.