Lead A Job Training Workshop

In keeping right along with my “Summer of Service” theme, here’s an opportunity to help prepare teenagers and young adults for career opportunities. Jobs for Youth is a Chicago nonprofit that provides workshops and development opportunities at no cost to participants.

This summer, JFY has plenty of opportunities for volunteers to assist students with mock interviews and one-on-one workshops, such as Resume Writing. Volunteers can get trained to teach classroom workshops on networking and internet job hunting. Most of the workshops take place between 11:15-1:30p during the week, so you can squeeze a session in on your lunch break!

You can view the calendar of opportunities here. If you’re interested in participating, email Emily Drake, Volunteer Services Coordinator (edrake@jfychicago.org).

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“Look Good…Feel Better” Turns 20!

While treatments such as chemotherapy are an essential part of fighting cancer, no one denies that it can and will change your appearance. And, of course, outer beauty isn’t everything, but things like the loss of hair or skin changes definitely have some effect on the way some women see themselves. And, studies have found that addressing the non-medical effects of cancer can be just as important as addressing the actual physical symptoms.

Look Good…Feel Better started in 1989 when a physician “prescribed” a makeover for a cancer patient who experienced depression related to her change in appearance. Twenty years later, the organization has helped many women offset appearance-related changes from cancer treatment through makeovers and one-on-one beauty sessions.

The cornerstone LGFB small group program is offered in all 50 states and DC. There are also international LGFB programs as well! The show doesn’t stop there. In select cities, individuals can also participate in bilingual (Spanish) or teen programs!

Participants spend two hours in a hands-on workshop that includes a 12-step skin care/make-up application lesson, demonstration of options for dealing with hair loss, and nail care techniques. Additionally, the ladies receive advice on wigs and scarves, along with free cosmetics kits! Each year, More than 50,000 individuals participate in the program. That’s a whole lot of beauty for a great cause

"Hope Is Beautiful" Ad

In celebration of Look Good…Feel Better’s 20th anniversary, the organization just launched the “Women of Hope is Beautiful” campaign and blog which encourages past program participants and cancer survivors to share their stories of hope and survival. You can share your story by clicking here. They’ve also unveiled a great ad campaign! My favorite execution is above, but you can view the rest here.

There are three main organizations which serve as a partners in making all of this happen. There’s the Personal Care Products Council, the nation’s cosmetic industry leaders; the American Cancer Society; and the National Cosmetology Association, which encourages member cosmetologists to volunteer their services. Each year, cosmetic companies, such as Mary Kay, Elizabeth Arden, and Benefit, donate over one million individual products (valued at $10 million) and raise more than $2 million for LGFB.

To celebrate their partnership with LGFB, OPI has designated a portion of the proceeds from the sale of its Bubble Bath Nail Lacquer in July and August to benefit the organization with a minimum $25,000 commitment.

OPI Bubble Bath Nail Lacquer

LGFB is always looking for volunteers. Whether you’re a licensed cosmetologist or just looking to do more general service, there is an opportunity for you. I could probably go on and on about all the great things that Look Good…Feel Better is doing across the country, but I’ll let you explore it for yourself! If you head on over to www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org, you will find studies, videos, photos, beauty tips, and MUCH more!

You can also follow LGFB on Twitter at twitter.com/lgfb! Happy 20th birthday to such a great cause!

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Casual Charity – Tees for a Cause

Four years ago, my former professor/mentor said to me, “You know one thing that I never saw coming? Wearing t-shirts with random sayings on them. I just don’t get it.” And, we had a great laugh about it. But, in all actuality, tees with catchphrases or eye-grabbing logos/designs have virtually cemented themselves in our society. I mean, how many different versions of Obama shirts exist in the world?

From school pride to peaceful demonstrations, here is a posting of some of my favorite tees out here raising money for some great causes!

Save The Tatas

These sassy tees not only draw attention to the wearer but they also raise breast cancer awareness in a fearless way. Five percent of all sales of the tees will be donated to The Save the Ta-Tas Foundation. Proud partners of the Concern Foundation and the Revlon Run/Walk for Women, the foundation exists for the advancement of cancer awareness, education and prevention, and to aid in the fight to find a cure. You can find this shirt and more at www.savethetatas.com!

Gold Metallic Tank, $25.95

First Lady High

This tee is not just a nod to Whitney M. Young High School, the oh-so-great institution responsible for First Lady Michelle Obama’s high school education, but is also a fashionable means to raise scholarship funds for the students. WY alum and Redefine the Tee owner, Monique Spence, created the shirts to give back in a proud way. As a WY alum myself, I’ve decided that I must have one of these tees. Browse the collection at www.redefinethetee.com.

First Lady High Tee, $35

peacepower

The eco-friendly tees playfully display the peace symbol with hopes that you will help spread awareness about world causes. The tees are 100% organic and the company is working on being completely green. For every shirt sold, the company donates 1% to Doctors Without Borders. If you’re looking for one of these crafted tees, you will either have to locate a retailer nearest you OR send the company an email to arrange a transaction (via MC, Visa, or Paypal).

Peace Cap Tee, $34

Common Threadz

Common Threadz’ plan is pretty simple. For every tee that you purchase, they will provide a school uniform to a child in Africa. For the most part, children are required to wear uniforms and sometimes something that seems simple to us can stand in the way of an education. The t-shirt designs are often done by artists, but in the case of the shirt below, the children in Africa also lend their talents to the cause. You can learn more about Common Threadz, as well as view the collection here.

Designed by Thatdo Zonndi, $38

Have a cool tee that I missed? Email me a pic…I’d love to see them and share!

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Bobbi Brown Discusses Giving Back

Entrepreneur and beauty maven, Bobbi Brown, is involved in many charitable causes, including Dress for Success. She recently chatted with Forbes.com to discuss how she balances her career with giving back, and why it’s important for women to make a difference.

Here’s an excerpt:

Why did you want to get involved?

Just look at what I do for a living and who I am as a person. I can help a woman take care of herself and help her to get a job. Keeping her looking and feeling confident is what I’m all about.

I heard the stories of the women who were involved with the Dress for Success program and how it was really able to help. I saw that I could make a difference.

What do you say to women who claim they simply don’t have the time, energy or money to give back to their community?

I don’t believe in excuses. I believe in choices. It doesn’t matter what you do. Just do it.

You can read the entire interview on Forbes.com by clicking here. While you’re there, make sure you check out the “Busy Woman’s Guide to Volunteering.” There are some great tips in there for all of my busy Queen bees out there!

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Help Fight AIDS at Banana Republic

On July 7th, Banana Republic (744 N. Michigan Avenue) will host a private shopping event from 7-9p to benefit the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Guests will receive 25% off their purchase and Banana Republic will also donate 5% to AFC!

To join the festivities, you will need the coupon at the right. Just click on it, print it out, and bring it to the store with you.

As the event will be catered, make sure that you RSVP! Send an email to Katie O’Malley by Sunday, July 5th!

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I Love You, MJ!

Like most of the world, I was completely in shock while watching the coverage of Michael Jackson unfold. When the first tweet appeared, it was like someone kicked me. And, as I literally became stuck on Twitter, a little piece of my heart kept breaking and breaking until I couldn’t do anything else but dance. And dance. And dance. I cranked the MJ playlist on my iPod from 2:30 in the afternoon until I left the house at 11:30p to go out dancing and celebrating his life.

Thank you for giving your life and your craft to us, Michael. You were the true King of Pop. I tried to just pick one of my favorite videos, but that was too hard…So, here are two of my favs! Of course, Scream, Thriller, Rock With You, and many more aren’t featured here. Lol

R.I.P. Michael…I love you!

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Jessica Matrasko Jewelry Collection

Another great jewelry find via Twitter! The Jessica Matrasko Jewelry collection is not only beautiful but it’s creative as well! Jessica often uses stones, leaves, minerals and other natural elements to feature, often times preserving the items in 24k gold. Her designs are all named after a friend or family member who has inspired her, and she regularly donates proceeds from certain items to charitable organizations.

Take the beautiful necklace below…Twenty percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Dionne Necklace, $170

To browse more items from the collection, head on over to www.jessicamatraskojewelry.com.

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ULTA Awards Scholarships to Students

This Friday, ULTA will host 16 scholarship winners at the unofficial flagship store on Chicago’s State Street (114 S. State). High school students from across the country had the opportunity to write an essay discussing what the words “enrich, empower, and enlighten” meant to them. The awardees will receive a $5000 scholarship and are being flown to Chicago to join ULTA CEO, Lyn Kirby, for a luncheon and an afternoon of celebration.

The students in attendance will be treated to makeovers, a shopping spree, along with a tour of the 18,000 sq. ft store! These are some very lucky students! That’s all that I can say about it. Wow.

I will be in attendance tomorrow, so you know that I will provide a recap and photos for all of you! However, I am praying that all the lipglosses and eyeshadows don’t distract me…

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Summer of Service – Chicago!

Hey, guys…I’m a day behind with the service opps, but here you go! Have fun

Sat, 6/27: Head on over to Humboldt Park to help plant, weed, water, and organize the Campbell community garden from 10a-12p! Click here for details!

Sat, 6/27: South Siders, come on out to Jackson Park and help cut brush, seed, and plant native species in Bobolink Meadow and Woods and on Wooded Island from 10a-1p! Click here for details!

If your organization has an outdoor event and/or project coming up and you need volunteers, please send the details to thefabgiver@gmail.com! I will post events every Tuesday for the current week…

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All Stars Perform and Excel in Chicago

Chicago All-Stars with Executive Director, David Cherry (bottom right)

Historically, children from lower socio-economic backgrounds have less opportunities than their counterparts. There’s no question about that. However, just because something is true, doesn’t mean that it can’t be changed. All it takes is a little opportunity, some dedication, and great talent.

Founded in 1981 in New York City, the All Stars Project is a nonprofit “dedicated to promoting human development through the use of an innovative performance-based model.” The program creates educational and performing arts activities for thousands of young people with the goal of opening more doors for their future.

In 2007, the All Stars Project brought its vision and mission here to the Windy City, under the guidance of Executive Director, David Cherry. Cherry has worked in Chicago communities for over 16 years, and has a deep passion for assisting the youth who come through All Stars. Chicago’s first All Stars Talent Show was held in March 2007. Since that initial show, over 1000 young people from across the city have had the opportunity to showcase their performing prowess.

Last Wednesday, I was invited to attend a benefit luncheon at the Metropolitan Club of Chicago and enjoyed an afternoon of learning more about the organization and its programs in Chicago. At each of our tables sat a youth host who’d previously participated in the Developmental School for Youth program. Being the curious young lady that I am, I asked her to tell me about her experiences within the program. She enthusiastically described workshops including resume building, training on business attire, and public speaking. These workshops were often developed and facilitated with the assistance of Chicago professionals volunteering their skills.

As the luncheon went on, I was very impressed by the way that members of Chicago’s business community have rallied around the All Stars to invest in the future of these deserving students. In addition to financial support, companies such as MetLife and Dun and Bradstreet, will provide summer internships for a dose of real-world experience. In college, I had the opportunity to intern in Corporate America and I can’t stress how important it was to me, both at that moment and even now.

“I can honestly say that I learned a lot during the program,” my table host told me. What’s beautiful is that this statement isn’t just limited to her experience. According to Cherry, one of the great things about All Stars is that they’ve created programs that the students “actually want to participate in.”

I would love for you guys to check out the All Stars Project, especially the talent show! During the luncheon, two of the cutest young ladies performed on stage, and they were good! The next shows will be held in August on the South Side of Chicago. To find out more, please visit www.allstars.org/chicago.html!

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