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Edwards is next 'Remarkable Women' speaker at Dandelion

By Bill Moss, Published: July 17, 2014

Teresa Edwards, co-owner of McDonald's restaurants in Henderson County and Western North Carolina, will headline Mainstay's next "Conversations with Remarkable Women" at 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 23, at the Dandelion Eatery, 127 Fifth Avenue West.

A North Carolina native, Teresa Wilson Edwards moved to Hendersonville from Laurinburg in middle school and graduated from West Henderson High School. Determined not to wind up as another "sad story," Edwards will share the details of a difficult childhood and how she got her life on track.
"Alcoholism, drugs and sexual abuse is how we rolled in our family and I taught myself the strength to stand up straight, even while shaking on the inside," she says. "Women coming into my life have helped me and given me the direction I needed when I needed it most."
Teresa and Chuck Edwards, her husband of 32 years, are partners in the C. Edwards Group. They opened their first McDonald's restaurant in the area 16 years ago and now own and operate seven.
After her talk, Edwards will help launch the new Remarkable Women Giving Circle, an effort to lift up women through the Dandelion Eatery's Opportunity Fund. The Dandelion, a job training arm of Mainstay, is gaining recognition as a national model to help victims of domestic violence and others who need community support to thrive.
"We are establishing this donor advised fund to support the Dandelion Opportunity Fund, which will provide short-term grants to women to pursue education and job training opportunities," says Edwards, one of the Giving Circle's founding members.
More details about the Remarkable Women Giving Circle will be revealed after Edwards' talk on July 23. Tickets are $20 and include appetizers and desserts from the Dandelion Eatery. Each purchased ticket also admits a "special guest" — a woman who is currently experiencing life challenges. To purchase a ticket, call Mainstay at 693-3840.