Ginger Williams

Ginger Williams, St. Louis native, retired nurse, and a neighborhood institution, has made Edgewater a way of life. Ginger moved to Edgewater thirty years ago with her husband, John, and raised four children here. Never looking back, Ginger wanted to be more involved in the community, so she started volunteering at St. Gertrude Catholic Church, where her children were students. This led to working in the Edgewater Community Council and the 48th Ward office.

Ginger worked with library advocate and 2013 Living Treasure Betty Barclay to create Friends of the Edgewater Library. When the original building was torn down, the Friends went into dormancy – Ginger was instrumental in reinvigorating the group in 2013 when the new branch opened, and is an active leader in its activities. Passionate about promoting graceful aging, Ginger is a prominent figure of Edgewater Village Chicago, dedicated to helping mature Edgewater residents age in place.

Ginger Williams

“One reason [I volunteered] is my children, because I
wanted to model that for them, and I tried to pick volunteer
jobs that I could bring them with me… I think kids need to see
their parents being very involved in the community.”

Click here for a short video.