One-on-One HerShe Mentoring

Thirteen unmatched HerShe girls were paired up with mentors.

On Match Day, the girls and their soon to be mentors were busy with a ton of get-to-know-you games and activities provided by our wonderful Mentor Program Manager, Nina Bryson. During the same time, already matched HerShe girls went over their goals for the upcoming year with their mentors. Maurissa Sanders Mitchem, our HerShe PEP (post-emancipation program) Manager, led this discussion and offered many words of wisdom to the matched girls and mentors.

After lunch, which was generously donated by the wonderful Michelle Barton-Brown, unmatched girls were individually called up and told by Nina Bryson who their new mentors were. The girls responded in a multitude of ways (shrieks of pleasure, smiles, hugs, etc), but all in all everyone was most definitely happy with their match.

HerShe girl, Alisa W. stated “I had fun. I enjoyed myself. I really wanted Kari and I got her!” and HerShe girl, Molly D. stated “I liked it because I got who I really wanted. I screamed when I heard Yung’s name,” when asked what they felt about Mentor Match Day.

Good luck to all of our Mentor/Mentee pairs as they start off a new year together! And always remember that being a good Mentee/Mentor means spending lots of time together!

Saturday, August 27^th, 2011 was a very busy day for HerShe since we not only had our Mentor/Mentee Match Day, but we also had our first annual Back to School Shopping event for the girls.

Our Fundraising committee outdid themselves with this event by securing donated clothes, bags, shoes and school supplies from a number of sources, namely Ed Hardy, GAP and Hollister. The HerShe girls were given HerShe bucks, the amount depended on their merit. Some girls were given up to nineteen HerShe bucks due to their punctuality, being a part of the Cahuenga Library Community Service day, etc, which meant they most certainly went on a shopping spree since all items at our Back to School Shopping event were priced at one dollar.

Before the girls were allowed to shop, members of the Fundraising Committee gave the girls a styling 101 presentation. They emphasized the importance of not allowing one’s clothes be the source for why one feels beautiful because true beauty comes from within.

By the end of the event, over a hundred items were sold and each girl had giant bags of clothes/school supplies to take home.When asked what they felt about our first annual HerShe Back to School Shopping event, the HerShe girls stated:

“I like how they gave us a whole speech and real tips on how they think about fashion before letting us shop. They stressed that beauty comes from within and they made sure we knew this before they let us shop.” (Elizabeth H.)

“It was new. They had different brands, dresses, shorts, skirts and pants. They connected with us by helping us shop and constantly asking us if we needed help.” (Ms. M)

“It was great! I got some uniform pants and the best thing about it was that it was free!” (Dyahnne S.)

“It was great! Everybody went away with something, which is what’s important.” (Meagan W)

“There were so many options. All the girls were excited and it was tons of fun.” (Ebony CW)

Special thanks to the fundraising committee for making this event possible! And Good luck on your first day of school, HerShe girls!

HerShe's Community Service Day - 8/6/11

On Saturday, August 6, 2011, the HerShe Group had its first community service day of the Zeta program year at the Cahuenga Branch Library in Hollywood.

Every month, individuals from the Los Angeles community gather together at the library and have a mini-cleanup/gardening session. Andrew Carnegie built the library in 1916, making it the oldest library in the state of California.

HerShe girls were fortunate enough to help with the cleanup. Elson Trinidad, a member of the CahuenGardeners, which is the organization responsible for setting up the monthly cleanups, put the girls straight to work immediately after they arrived at the library.

The HerShe girls helped pick up trash, weed, water plants and sweep the front and backside of the library. By the end of the session, the library looked great and we went home rejuvenated with the spirit of giving.

Thank you, CahuenGardeners for inviting us to this mini-cleanup! We look forward to working with you again!

Also, a special thanks to Indiana Garcia for finding this opportunity to give back to Mother Earth!!

Drinking for a Good Cause -- Wine Tasting @ Rideau Vineyard

The HerShe group hosted a wine tasting fundraising event at the tranquil and beautiful Rideau Vineyard (http://rideauvineyard.com) in Solvang, California.

HerShe supporters had a chance to sit back and enjoy the ride up the coast in a comfortable private bus with DVD players showing classic Soul Train episodes and of course, presentations of events featuring the HerShe girls.

The day started out cool and overcast but by the time we arrived to the Santa Ynez Valley vineyard, it was sunny with a slight breeze. We were greeted by the hospitable Iris Rideau, who graciously advised two of our HerShe girls on how to achieve greatness, mainly by believing in themselves. She also shared the fascinating story of how she started with an old dilapidated farm but with a dream and determination, turned that blank canvas into an award winning winery owned by the first African American in the United States. What a fine realization to a dream.

We were all enjoying the beauty of the rose gardens, the fabulous home Ms. Rideau built and the remodeled barn that she transformed into a wine tasting room that is now a historical landmark.

The wine tasting was fun, the food was delicious and the peaceful tranquility was difficult to leave but as we boarded the bus to depart, our bus driver surprised us with the news that the fun wasn’t over yet. We had time to make one last stop in downtown Solvang to see its shops, Dutch appeal and pick up additional souvenirs besides the wine that accompanied us from the Rideau vineyard. Aaaahhhh the wine.

On the ride home, some of us slept, some read, some chatted and then there were the ones who couldn’t wait to open their sweet Rieslings and it took the game of Taboo to a whole ‘nother level of fun.

HerShe would like to thank all the supporters of this event. The feedback was so positive that the decision was made to make this an annual event. So get ready for next year where drinking will be for a good cause.

by Michele Clark