NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — L’Oréal Paris celebrated 10 extraordinary women who are championing a breadth of social causes at the 14th annual L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth gala this evening. Inspired by the L’Oréal Paris tagline, “Because You’re Worth It,” L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth honors the intrinsic beauty and worth of women who are positively impacting their communities through philanthropy. With diverse stories born from personal experiences, the 2019 L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth represent a range of causes including bringing musical expression to special needs children, empowering at-risk teenage girls to build literacy and life skills, improving the lives of youth in foster care through educational coaching and technology, and working with communities to reduce food waste.
An influential group of media, business executives, philanthropists and past L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth gathered at The Pierre Hotel in New York City to shine a spotlight on the 2019 Women of Worth and provide a national platform to tell their stories. Each Honoree received a $10,000 grant for their non-profit organizations, with 2019 Honoree Brittany Schiavone of Brittany’s Baskets of Hope and 2008 Women of Worth alumna Gracie Cavnar of Recipe for Success Foundation receiving special recognition for their work.
Following a nationwide, online public vote, Schiavone was selected as the 2019 National Honoree. She received an additional $25,000 to support her cause that helps deliver baskets of handmade baby items and Down syndrome support system information to families with Down syndrome babies.
Separately, Gracie Cavnar was named this year’s recipient of the Karen T. Fondu Impact Award. Cavnar was recognized for her work in combatting childhood obesity by changing the way children understand, appreciate and eat their food, as well as helping the community provide healthier diets for kids.
“The L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth are selfless heroes who through great courage, perseverance, and sacrifice are embracing their worth and instilling it in others. They are the purest embodiment of our iconic tagline, ‘Because You’re Worth It,'” said Ali Goldstein, President, L’Oréal Paris. “With the 2019 L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth there are now 140 phenomenal Honorees who continue to make a profound impact on society, and we are proud to continue to help them thrive,” added Karen T. Fondu, President Emeritus and Chairwoman of L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth.
NATIONAL WOMEN OF WORTH HONOREE: BRITTANY SCHIAVONE, BRITTANY’S BASKETS OF HOPE, SOUTH HUNTINGTON, NY
Brittany created Brittany’s Baskets of Hope, a non-profit dedicated to bringing information, support and guidance to families welcoming babies with Down syndrome into their lives by delivering handmade baskets of baby items, information about Down syndrome and Brittany’s own story, instilling hope in the face of uncertainty. Since its foundation in 2016, BBoH has delivered over 900 baskets to families in 48 states. Brittany is a testament to the success of individuals with Down syndrome and her story helps parents envision futures for their children and all they can achieve.
KAREN T. FONDU IMPACT AWARD WINNER: GRACIE CAVNAR, RECIPE FOR SUCCESS FOUNDATION, HOUSTON, TX
Cardiac surgeon and host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” Dr. Mehmet Oz presented this year’s Karen T. Fondu Impact Award to Gracie Cavnar, who was recognized for her work in combatting childhood obesity by changing the way children understand, appreciate and eat their food, as well as helping the community provide healthier diets for our kids. Since becoming a Women of Worth Honoree in 2008, Cavnar served as an advisor to the White House in the planning, design and launch of Let’s Move, a national advocacy initiative of First Lady Michelle Obama. Later, she was appointed to the Mayor’s Healthy Houston Task Force, was a keynote speaker at dozens of events, including two TEDx talks, and in 2017 she chaired the International Women’s Forum Global Conference in Houston. After nearly fifteen years on the ground and 50,000+ children taught, the Recipe for Success Foundation has attracted attention from many activists, the White House and national press.
The 2019 Women of Worth Honorees and their non-profits:
- Brittany Schiavone – Long Island, NY; Founder, Brittany’s Baskets of Hope: delivers baskets of hand-made baby items and Down syndrome support system information to families with Down Syndrome babies.
- Crystal Chatman – Memphis, TN; Founder & Director, Beautiful Spirited Women: empowers and advocates for teenage girls through mentorship that teaches healthy self-esteem, safe sex and entrepreneurship.
- Hetal Jani – Queens, NY; Founding Executive Director, SPEAK Mentorship: advances diversity in leadership through college and career preparedness, mentoring immigrant girls on cultural identity, career trajectory and gender association.
- Judy Winter – East Lansing, MI; Cofounder, Eric ‘RicStar’ Winter Music Therapy Camp: provides opportunities for musical expression, enjoyment and interaction with special needs children through an inclusive day camp.
- Ni’cola Mitchell – Atlanta, GA; Founder, Girls Who Brunch: inspires and empowers at-risk teenage girls by teaching literacy, education and critical life skills.
- Raja B. Marhaba – Granada Hills, CA; Founder, The Jonathan Foundation For Children with Learning Disabilities: Provides personalized support to help families with children with learning disabilities navigate special education systems.
- Sally Berenzweig – Boca Raton, FL; Cofounder, KidSafe Foundation: teaches personal safety to children and adults with the ultimate mission of building strong, resilient families and safer communities.
- Samantha Gerson – Los Angeles, CA; Founder & CEO, UnBroken: provides free legal and therapeutic support to adolescent survivors of institutional abuses such as conversion therapy.
- Shanté Elliott – Chicago, IL; Founder, TasselTurn: improves the lives of youth in foster care through personalized support and college and career technology based educational coaching and social-emotional curriculum.
- Shreyaa Venkat – Ashburn, VA; Founder, NEST4US: works with communities to provide volunteer and leadership opportunities, focusing on reducing food waste and feeding the hungry.
For more information about Women of Worth and the 2019 Honorees, visit www.WomenofWorth.com, and L’Oréal Paris on Facebook and Twitter. Join and follow the conversation by using the hashtag #WomenofWorth.
About L’Oréal Paris:
The L’Oréal Paris division of L’Oréal USA, Inc. is a total beauty care brand dedicated to empowering women by offering luxurious and innovative products and services available in the mass market. The brand’s signature tagline, “Because I’m Worth It,” was born in the United States in 1973 to celebrate the beauty and intrinsic self-worth of women, and for more than 100 years, L’Oréal Paris has been providing women around the world with products in four major beauty categories: hair color, haircare, skincare and cosmetics. With L’Oréal’s invention of hair color in 1909, the brand continues to serve as a leading innovator of hair products across color, care, and styling with brands such as Superior Preference, Féria, Colorista, Elvive, the Ever Collection, and Elnett Satin Hairspray. L’Oréal Paris provides scientifically-advanced skincare products that are tested to address individual skin concerns through its renowned brands Revitalift, Pure-Sugar, Pure-Clay, Age Perfect, and Sublime Bronze. L’Oréal Paris’ iconic cosmetics include best-seller Voluminous Lash Paradise, as well as the Infallible, True Match, Colour Riche, Voluminous, and Visible Lift collections. For more information about L’Oréal Paris and to receive personalized advice, expert tips, and exclusive content, please visit www.lorealparisusa.com or follow on Instagram (@LOrealMakeup, @LOrealHair, @LOrealSkin, @LOrealMen, Snapchat (@LOrealMakeup), Twitter (@LOrealParisUSA), Facebook (@LOrealParisUSA), and Pinterest (@LOrealParisUSA).
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