The Essence of Being Extraordinary Charity Breakfast

HerShe Group’s first charity breakfast featured four incredible women who have significantly impacted the lives of our youth. Nia Long (Award-winning Actress), Jessica Harper (Best-selling Author), Venus Manuel (Miss Black United States), and Charisse Nesbitt (Author/Editor) inspired the audience with compelling speeches.

Several HerShe girls whom attended the breakfast felt encouraged by the speakers. Nia Long shared her personal story of hardships experienced and encouraged listeners by explaining how she rose above difficulty. Porchia Burnett, a HerShe Alumni, commented “we were encouraged because we realized that everyone goes through difficult periods in their lives regardless of who they are”.

Overall, the event proved a success as the morning was filled with encouragement and laughter. Through the generous participation of the guests, HerShe was blessed by the money raised. Product sponsors included Avon, Dry Soda, Her Energy Drink, Jive Records, Maybelline, National Foster Care Month, Nikki Michelle Jewelry, Pangea Organics, Red Light PR, Sephora , SmartWater, and Strebor Books. All proceeds benefit the HerShe Group.

21 Year Old Student Sponsors HerShe Fashion Event

Roni Carter, a senior at The Art Institute, creates an event for the HerShe Group. She designed a day of exposure to the fashion industry while addressing issues related to positive self esteem and image. Roni was introduced to HerShe through Renee Moncito of the Wings of Refuge Family Services Agency. The Behind the Seam event that took place Saturday, March 8, 2008.

The event was successful in exposing HerShe girls to job opportunities in the fashion industry while boosting their self esteem through creative styling workshops. Roni pursued sponsorship, designed the workshops and produced a lunchtime fashion show with HerShe girls as models.
HerShe is proud to work with young talent that strive to make a difference! Great job!

HerShe Girls Attend Star-Studded Premiere

Thanks to the efforts of HerShe publicist, Lela Thompson, the Weinstein Company sponsored ten tickets for our HerShe girls to attend the premiere of the Superhero Movie on March 27.
Our HerShe girls stood and walked along the red carpet at the star-studded event at Mann’s Theatre. When asked about the event both, Hershe girl, Porchia Burnett and donor/volunteer Bobbie Howell stated “the experience made the girls feel as special as if they were movie stars themselves”. The actors, which included Kevin Hart, Regina Hall and Pamela Anderson, were gracious to the girls as they extended invitations to the premiere after-party and snapped photographs alongside the girls.

The girls, which included Lenique, Latoya, Chantel, JohnDonna, Megan, Destiny, and alumni/staff member Porchia Burnett “were treated as the guests of honor” affirmed Bobbie Howell.

This is an event that will forever be engrained in the girls’ memory as they participated in the premiere alongside the actors, producers, and directors. This will be a memorable experience as some of the girls aspire to follow career paths in the performing arts.

Chantell Dedicates a Poem to Kenadie

KENADIE

A caramel-colored masterpiece
Molded into perfection of not just words, but in fluency and dedication.
The creator of extraordinary experiences
Transforming the lives of young women
Unseen opportunities knocking, exposing us to greater opportunities.
She is the most loving, caring, humble, truthful, respectful, beautiful, deserving, person I know. Kenadie, words cannot even express how much I love you. You have created the most inspiring masterpiece ever. If there were no HerShe, I would have been deceased or incarcerated, but because of your knowledge, your drive, your passion, you have transformed the lives of every girl who has ever come in contact with you.

Kenadie is more than an entrepreneur; Kenadie is a Mother, our Mother.
She has totally transformed the lives of us by even giving us such an opportunity.
SOI THANK HER.
A caramel masterpiece molded by a Goddess which holds the key to our success.
A driven force of humanity, an unremarkable presence.

How much does Kenadie mean to me? She means more to me than she will ever know. Kenadie, without you, this opportunity, without my HerShe Fam Bam, without this experience, I don't know where I would be. Words cannot even express how much of a woman I have grown into because of you. I will be a HerShe for life because of you, and from the bottom of my heart, I really, really, really, Thank and Love you for this chance, this opportunity,
You are Beautiful, Inspirational,
Captivating the souls of young girls all over.

Barbara Schiller hosts HerShe at Snow Summit

Through the generous contribution of her home, Barbara & Rob Schiller gave HerShe girls the opportunity to camp at Big Bear Lake for an entire weekend. The beautiful cabin-style mansion provided the girls with a place to fellowship with each other. The girls embarked on a frosty adventure as they hit the slopes of Big Bear Mountain. Many of the girls had never seen or been around snow, much less get out there and attempt to ski. “It was an amazing experience to watch the girls conquer the mountain!” said HerShe executive director, Kenadie Cobbin-Richardson, about the experience.

Skiing is an activity which many children experience through their growing up years. These are the types of activities which HerShe strives to provide girls in the program. These are extraordinary experiences for the girls as they have never participated in such an amazing activity, yet can act as normalizing experiences because now they can say “Yeah, I’ve been skiing”. The ability to make these statements positively affects their self-esteem. The experience was rewarding for everyone involved. Barb Schiller loved having the girls as guests in her home so much that she cried upon the group’s departure. The girls were extremely grateful for the opportunity and pleaded to return the following winter season.

To become a HerShe Home Host, please call (310) 641-4400 for more information.

Cobin Foundation donates $10,000

The Steven & Susan Cobin Family Foundation award a $10,000 grant to the HerShe Group. The HerShe Group is delighted to receive a grant from this very distinguished and generous family. The mission of the Steven & Susan Cobin Family Foundation is to provide funding that will enable children at risk in the greater Los Angeles area to advance their mental, physical and educational well-being.

After a site visit with his daughter and his two granddaughters (his 11 year granddaughter is a member of the Foundation’s board), Steve Cobin fell in love with the HerShe Group and is now serving on the HerShe Board of Directors.

Charisse Nesbit Donates Royalties to HerShe

Charisse Nesbit is a writer and film executive currently living in Los Angeles. A native of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, she attended the University of New Mexico where she obtained her undergraduate degree in Journalism. Then she attended Columbia College Chicago where she received her Master of Fine Arts Degree in Fiction Writing.

Charisse first achieved success as a writer when her essay “Child of the Dream,” was chosen out of over 900 entries to appear in the 1999 anthology “Children of the Dream: Our Own Stories of Growing Up Black in America.” Following that success, Charisse self-published her first novella, “Learning to Scream: Joanne’s Revelation,” the following year. While attending Columbia College, Charisse first had the idea to compile her current anthology when prompted to write a series of essays. Though she eventually chose another topic, she never forgot the dream that started that day to finally put a positive face on foster care and foster children. The seed that was planted in that moment has finally bloomed into her current anthology “A Dream Deferred A Joy Achieved: Foster Care Stories of Struggle and Triumph.” Through the powerful stories in this book, Charisse hopes to inspire and empower other foster children to strive for more in their lives and know that the world is wide open for them as long as they believe in themselves, work hard, and always dare to dream.

Ms. Nesbit is donating a portion of her royalties to the HerShe Group! Go to http://www.ajoyachieved.com/ to buy a copy!

Meet HerShe Girl: Rosalyn

As an organization, HerShe aims to inspire its girls to pursue and demonstrate leadership. HerShe girl, Rosalyn, was selected by her school to lead a speech in the 4th Annual High School Business Plan Competition which was hosted by Project ECHO (Entrepreneurial Concepts Hands-On) and UCLA Anderson, which is UCLA’s School of Business.

Rosalyn and six other classmates from her Leadership Class researched, surveyed, compiled, and presented a business plan for "Saints Store", a school store they are campaigning to implement on campus. Rosalyn truly captured the stage. One of the judges commented on Rosalyn’s performance and stated "she was the best student speaker he has ever experienced and he hopes she hones that skill". This will not be a problem since all HerShe girls are trained in public speaking.

Rosalyn received support from her current mentor, Karolyn Haskins, as she watched from the auditorium seats. Karolyn commented, “I was extremely impressed, as were her classmates and the audience. They were the only group composed of all 9th graders. Although they came up short for the $1,000 first prize, she showed excellent sportsmanship and is looking forward to moving forward with the business plan”.

Dwight Stuart Youth Foundation Awards HerShe $15K

The Dwight Stuart Youth Foundation (DSYF) is proud to support the HerShe Group with a grant of $15,000. DSYF was endowed by Dwight L. Stuart (1924 - 1998). Mr. Stuart was the grandson of E.A. Stuart, founder of the Carnation Company, and was its president and chief executive officer from 1973 – 1983.
As a philanthropist, Mr. Stuart was honored for his work and generosity on behalf of underserved and disadvantaged children and youth. He served for 10 years as a Board Advisor to the Stuart Foundation, another family foundation based in San Francisco. The Board of Trustees of the Dwight Stuart Youth Foundation is composed of Mr. Stuart’s four sons and his sister.

Sparkletts Water sponsors a HerShe Christmas

Sparkletts Water, a brand of DS Waters, sponsored Christmas for HerShe girls. It was an amazing day that began bowling with the mentors at Jillian’s at Universal City Walk. Every year, the girls write a top five item wish list for Christmas. As wish-lists go, they are written without any guarantee to receive the items listed. But thanks to Sparkletts, each girl received EVERY item that they wished for!

This very special day was made possible by Amy Gumbs, HerShe mentor and Human Resources Manager for DS Waters, Tami Jones, HR Generalists and Kevin Altieri, VP of Customer Service. The girls received IPods, cell phones, designer purses, clothes, designer shoes, jewelry, art sets, video games, books, bath and body items, baseball caps, gift cards, music and much much more. Amy was so pleased with the her company’s eager participation in this community project. “We are happy to play such an integral part in the HerShe Group’s program; whatever we can do to help the girls, we will gladly do,” says Amy.

DS Waters is the premier U.S. home and office water delivery company, offering pure and refreshing bottled water. Their family of regional water brands includes Alhambra®, Belmont Springs®, Crystal Springs®, Hinckley Springs®, Kentwood Springs®, Nursery® Water, Sierra Springs®, and Sparkletts® - each with a reputation for quality.

HerShe Girls Feed the Homeless

At the beginning of the program year, HerShe mentors decided to formally organize themselves into a Mentor Auxiliary Board and form committees. One committee that has really made a difference in the lives of others is the Community Service Committee. For both Thanksgiving and Christmas, HerShe girls spent these two holidays feeding the homeless at the Union Rescue Mission and the Salvation Army. This effort was led by mentor, Marlene Bonner. Marlene thought that the girls needed to know that they had something to give and that no matter how bad their situation is — there is always someone who needs their help.

For many of us hardworking Americans, 68% of us are only one paycheck from being homeless ourselves. Homeless people aren’t a random subset of the American population, but they are people like us who are suffering from an unfortunate circumstance.

Moreover, homelessness affects 70% of all foster youth emancipated from foster care. Half of LA’s homeless are foster youth. We hope that HerShe girls will never be on the receiving in of our service to the homeless.

Teen Grantmakers choose HerShe

Since 1989, when Mary Caswell founded the Marlborough School, the institution has dedicated itself to preparing young women for leadership and contribution. With this as her mission, the Marlborough school should be proud of the group of teenagers who recently founded the Marlborough Student Charitable Fund (MSCF).

The Marlborough Student Charitable Fund (MSCF) is a student initiated philanthropic organization, established and run by students from the prestigious Marlborough School. The Fund, under the Women’s Foundation of California, strives to provide leadership opportunities for its members while serving the needs of underprivileged children in Los Angeles by furthering their education in a variety of ways.

The Marlborough Student Charitable Fund awarded HerShe a generous grant of $5,000. HerShe will put this money to good use as it will help fund HerShe’s Camp Cinderella. Thanks to generous contributions such as the one made by the MSCF, HerShe has the opportunity to provide girls in foster care whom are facing emancipation a better chance at transitioning successfully

Pasadena Playhouse invites HerShe to Ray Charles Live

HerShe volunteer and celebrity actress, Iona Morris, invited HerShe girls and mentors to see “Ray Charles Live” at the Pasadena Playhouse. This play is a world-premiere featuring a spectacular ensemble of Broadway talent. Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks charts the deepest part of THE MAN in a moving and triumphant story laced with his greatest hits, including “Georgia on My Mind,” “Hit the Road, Jack,” and “I Got a Woman.” The play got rave reviews from the girls. They thoroughly enjoyed the evening and in the words of one young theatergoer, “that play was tight!” Many thanks to Iona Morris, Sheldon Epps, Alexis Chamow and all the mentors who transported the girls to the event.

TBS Star Claud Mann cooks with HerShe

HerShe mentor & volunteer, Debra MacCulloch, offered her friend’s gorgeous mansion in Ojai, California for HerShe to host its Fall Performing Arts Camp. She also asked TV star chef and friend, Claud Mann of “Dinner & a Movie” (TBS) to provide a cooking experience for the girls.

Claud taught the girls how to prepare, cook and present food that looks beautiful and tastes delicious. The girls beamed with excitement as they cut, diced, tasted, smelled, and experimented with herbs, spices, meats, vegetables and cooking techniques.

During the mini-camp, the girls also participated in an intense performing arts curriculum taught by world-renown artist, Karen Clark-Green who flew in from Youngstown, Ohio to lead the sessions. She also recruited well-known dancer, Sam Peete, to give the girls a class in hip-hop. Mr. Norwood, father of the singer, Brandy, also came by to support the girls and their own artistry.

Through an intense summer camp held at Pepperdine University and four (4) mini-camps throughout the year held at different mansions and estates, the girls use these opportunities to come together and experience what it is to be in a sisterhood — while maturing into the women that God has called them to be.