“Project Rejuvenation is designed to encourage and invigorate women who are in transition by giving each participant a complete makeover and before modeling in a fashion show.” – event program, Saturday 22 May 2010.
I attended this benefit event due to the generosity of my friend Sharon, who had given me her ticket because she thought she would be away this weekend. However, since Memorial Day weekend is next week, Sharon was able to make the event after all. Through one of the event’s three hosting organizations – Nestfeathers (the other two are Gladtees and the Ruby May Staine Foundation) - Sharon volunteers at the Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles whose mission “…is to provide permanent supportive housing and a safe and healthy community fostering dignity, respect, and personal stability, and to advocate ending homelessness for women.” – DWC website.
Sharon was outside the venue when I arrived, so we ventured in, saw that some people were already seated, picked up programs, and sat at an empty round table near the front. The people who eventually joined us at the table were: Joe, who is heading the DWC’s new building project; Loraine, a member of the DWC Board; Leslie, who is a construction project manager, and her daughter Katy, who attends college in New York; and Rachel, who recently did a Habitat for Humanity project in Malaysia, and her parents, whose names I believe are Tom and Lisa.
The program began around an hour late, but the afternoon was full of photo taking (digital cameras and videos everywhere – I couldn’t escape!), food (strawberries and melted chocolate, Chinese chicken salad, frosted white cake), speeches (introductions, prayer, testimonies, poetry), music (jazz saxophone, soft vocals, loud rap), laughter, and women walking the runway in manners that ranged from shy to bold. The models were dressed in casual wear for their first trip on the runway and for the second trip, the women wore dressier outfits. Audience clapping was abundant! During her final walk on the runway, one of the women stopped and expressed her appreciation for all that had been done for her and the other women to increase their confidence. Later in the afternoon one of the models sang for the audience
There was a raffle to end afternoon. Tickets were bought and then you placed tickets in jars on which was written the raffle prize that you wanted. And the raffle was a success for the people at the table where I was sitting. Rachel won a huge Trader Joe’s basket full of goodies, Sharon won a stay in a Big Bear Lake vacation home that sleeps eight, and I won a UCLA Extension course (academia, here I come!). We were all very happy with the prizes. And I was glad I was able to contribute some amount to this benefit. After the usual “nice to have met you” and “hope to see you again”, Sharon and I left and she drove me to the bus stop and I rode off home, content.
Images:
Left: Front side of ticket for Project Rejuvenation
Center: Project Rejuvenation poster from the website nestfeathers.org
I attended this benefit event due to the generosity of my friend Sharon, who had given me her ticket because she thought she would be away this weekend. However, since Memorial Day weekend is next week, Sharon was able to make the event after all. Through one of the event’s three hosting organizations – Nestfeathers (the other two are Gladtees and the Ruby May Staine Foundation) - Sharon volunteers at the Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles whose mission “…is to provide permanent supportive housing and a safe and healthy community fostering dignity, respect, and personal stability, and to advocate ending homelessness for women.” – DWC website.
Sharon was outside the venue when I arrived, so we ventured in, saw that some people were already seated, picked up programs, and sat at an empty round table near the front. The people who eventually joined us at the table were: Joe, who is heading the DWC’s new building project; Loraine, a member of the DWC Board; Leslie, who is a construction project manager, and her daughter Katy, who attends college in New York; and Rachel, who recently did a Habitat for Humanity project in Malaysia, and her parents, whose names I believe are Tom and Lisa.
The program began around an hour late, but the afternoon was full of photo taking (digital cameras and videos everywhere – I couldn’t escape!), food (strawberries and melted chocolate, Chinese chicken salad, frosted white cake), speeches (introductions, prayer, testimonies, poetry), music (jazz saxophone, soft vocals, loud rap), laughter, and women walking the runway in manners that ranged from shy to bold. The models were dressed in casual wear for their first trip on the runway and for the second trip, the women wore dressier outfits. Audience clapping was abundant! During her final walk on the runway, one of the women stopped and expressed her appreciation for all that had been done for her and the other women to increase their confidence. Later in the afternoon one of the models sang for the audience
There was a raffle to end afternoon. Tickets were bought and then you placed tickets in jars on which was written the raffle prize that you wanted. And the raffle was a success for the people at the table where I was sitting. Rachel won a huge Trader Joe’s basket full of goodies, Sharon won a stay in a Big Bear Lake vacation home that sleeps eight, and I won a UCLA Extension course (academia, here I come!). We were all very happy with the prizes. And I was glad I was able to contribute some amount to this benefit. After the usual “nice to have met you” and “hope to see you again”, Sharon and I left and she drove me to the bus stop and I rode off home, content.
Images:
Left: Front side of ticket for Project Rejuvenation
Center: Project Rejuvenation poster from the website nestfeathers.org
Right: Project Rejuvenation event program schedule
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