Headed home to change into my suit
red velvet and white cuffs to boot.
A Santa hat adorned my head
Jeannie joined me in matching red.

Car stuffed with stockings we embarked
to the shelter to play the part.
Santa’s helpers, arms stuffed with stockings
so many boxes we had difficulty walking.

Women were delighted
We all felt excited.
Hugs came from all around
Hope and dignity a bound.

One moment touched me most
A woman haunted by violent ghosts
who never let anyone touch her
was so moved by the stocking she stirred.

Once then twice
she hugged me and Jeannie – oh so nice.
Eyes full of tears
She said we made her year.

Moments like that are
why we do the work
that we do.
Because we believe
hope, love and touch
can change lives so very much.

“The above video was produced by 4 grade 10 students as part of a project with their planning class. The groups will be evaluated and if chosen will move on to a district wide competition that could win $5000.00 for their chosen Charity. As a mother of one of the producers…this has brought me an awareness of the amazing qualities of this charity and what it had done and with funding and volunteer support can continue to do for these beautiful woman…” – Mother of one of the Producers.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsB6pB4VuXk[/video]

Thanks to Ronnie Bugay from www.galeliodesign.com for capturing the event and what we aim to achieve with the monies raised through Beauty Night Society.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPWVfl__wuc[/video]

Monday, January 25th kicks off with a screening of Chris McDowell and Moira Simpson’s film (screened at VIFF 2009) Under One Sky at 6pm. We are excited to have the film makers in house And one of the martial artists from the film (Please see information from Inside Douglas College Newsletter below) offer a demo and a mini workshop with the women. Photographer, Ken Villeneuve will be taking photos of the women in their favourite martial arts pose. Our makeover program and Kids Club will run as scheduled starting at 6pm.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2009
Media tech’s film featured at VIFF

“This film is a testament to every woman who has fought back.”

Womyns Gym Program Coordinator, Tyla Flexman and National Executive Director, Caroline MacGillivray thought the film would be a great way to inspire more women to explore the different tools for healing offered through physical fitness. With our 2010 Womyns Gym session starting on February 9 on Monday and Wednesday nights, we wanted to remind our participants of the different tools that can be used to create life makeovers.

For the 2010 session of Womyns Gym, Flexman and MacGillivray aim to have several women complete the Sun Run on May 9, 2010. We will be coordinating a running clinic for the Womyns gym participants who would like to complete the run.

What started off as a special Christmas make over party, became a way to reintroduce touch to victims of violence. When attendees saw the physical change, they started to believe other types of change were possible. They attended literacy classes to show off their freshly painted nails, visited the health clinics to talk about how good they felt and walked out with an extra bounce in their step.

Working directly with the attendees, helped change the perception of many of our volunteers. One of our volunteers told us, “I go past these women every day on the bus but I don’t see them. Tonight I laughed and hugged so many of them. I can’t go back to not being able to see them.”

Last night we celebrated Beauty Night Society’s 9th birthday in Vancouver & Prince George. In Vancouver, the festivities started off with Christmas caroling. Volunteers, participants & their children sang Christmas tunes while creating Christmas cards. Thanks to accessing karaoke via youtube.com, we were able to get everyone singing and dancing.

Women and children gathered around the table with their children cutting and pasting ribbon to card stock. Womyn’s Gym coordinator, Tyla Flexman helped the women find stickers & pens as they sifted through the mountain of art supplies. Through words and art they found different ways to say thank you on paper. These cards were given to many of our volunteers.

Thanks to sponsorship through Liberty Wines & the the creative genius of Stacey Dallyn, the Beauty Night room was transformed into a winter wonderland. Wood land creatures sat under a White Christmas tree. Decorated in silver and gold, the words Beauty Night leapt out the fluffy snow that coated the walls.

Founding vice president of Beauty Night Society, Carly Teng was on hand as a roaming photographer. Carly captured pictures of the festivities of the evening. When our photography team was stuck in traffic, Carly stepped in and began to snap pictures of the women & Santa Claus.

Beauty Night board member, Dave Dickson’s eyes twinkled like St. Nick as women & children posed with him. Ten year old, Santa Helper, Katie Dalinghaus smiled pretty for the camera as she handed out the Nancy Black designed Xmas stockings to the women and children.

Stuffed to the brim with warm gloves, tooth brushes, dental care products, skin care, hair care, and body care products, the brightly coloured stockings Katie handed to the women. Like the first Beauty Night makeover event, the stockings contents came from stocking drive from individuals, churches, and businesses that wanted to contribute to Beauty Night’s 7th annual Xmas stocking drive. Led by Stocking Coordinator, Blair Lockhart, BC Hydro, TD Canada Trust, Ch2M Hill and Carrie Wheeler Talent Management and many more collected monies and products for us to fill those stockings.

Hundreds of high school students from York House, Little Flower Academy, Prince of Wales Mini School, Van Tech Secondary, Churchill Secondary School, Kwantlan College and many members of our community stitched the stockings. 5 – 7 year olds in sparks & brownie troupes decorated the stockings with their own personal flair.

Photographers Bruce & Sarah Culver set up the shots. Beauty Night volunteers & participants mugged for the camera. In the Beauty Night room, Tiffany Telford led the make over program. Carol Hogan, Ella Bak, Olivia Cammie, Meagan Stowe, Denise Van Gorkom, Margo Dalinghaus, and Amanda offered make up lessons, hair styling, manicures, mini massages and reiki.

Under the guidance of Kids Club coordinators, Alexa Fox and Sophia Hughes, women and children continued to create cards and occasionally break into a game of “jingle” tag.

While all the laughter- filled activity filled the room, Wendy Shuen and her volunteers bustled from room to room offering delectable goodies to the Beauty Night participants & volunteers. Almond cookies, fruit cake and mouth watering capicino chocolate biscuits satisfied our taste buds and our stomachs.

Throughout it all, DJ Joe, Tyla Flexman, Stacey Dallyn, Margo Dalinghaus, and Tiffany Telford bustled around making the event run smoothly.

Before the women headed out the door, Katie Dalinghaus gave them scarves created by Knit Fit Volunteers. Over 300 scarves were created by students from Elementary schools and High School students around the lower mainland. Spearheaded by Knit Fit founder & program coordinator, Laura Mah, hundreds of youth, seniors and children developed leadership skills and created scarves to keep people warm as they headed out into the snow.

In Prince George, our Beauty Night makeover event took place at Elizabeth Fry Society. Belly dance and self defense classes were held while women were offered make up application, hair styling, mini facials, manicures and much more.

Tonight – in Vancouver, we continue our celebrations at BC Women’s Hospital. Tiffany Telford, Ella Bak, Tyla Flexman, Caitlin Naylor and Lindsay McMillian will be handing out Xmas stockings and offering our makeover programming to the women in Fir Square.

As we head towards the end of the year, we have a few more events this week. In Toronto, the Xmas stockings & makeover program runs of December 17th – while Vancouver volunteers and contributors celebrate Beauty Night Society’s 9th Birthday on a Boat.

Beauty on the Boat enbarks at 7pm on December 17th. An evening on the sea with the music of Greg Cockerill and evening jaunt along the Vancouver coast. Tickets are $50 – proceeds to Beauty Night Society. For more information, please call 778-885-4526 or events@beautynight.org.

* For those who still have contributions to give, we are still handing out Xmas stockings and scarves on Xmas eve. Please contact us at info@beautynight.org.

If you are unable to go, please continue to forward the message.

We need hairdressers, makeup artists, aestheticians, RMTs, volunteers to pick up contributions and much more. We are hoping that if we get enough volunteers and supplies, we might be able to increase the events to run 4 times per year!

Eventually if we develop the resources, it would be wonderful to be able to offer programming four nights per week. Based on what the women want, that would include womyn’s gym (one on one personal training), yoga classes, mom & tot nutrition classes, journaling, Kids club, personal development & inner beauty boot camp. Next year, it would be wonderful to be able to have the xmas stocking initiative & Knit Fit community building programs included with our Prince George activities.

In light of the 20 year anniversary of the Montreal Massacre on Sunday (December 6th, 2009) has prompted discussion around the country about what we can do to help women living with violence. Our makeover program is a great way to:

Reintroduce touch to victims of violence
Integrate women who are isolated into communities
Create opportunities for the participants to get involved
with the program.
Build community.

In BC alone, the Highway of Tears and the DTES Missing Women are a call for action. By working together, we can make a difference in the lives of many. When we make someone feel good, we give them hope. When you have hope you can do anything.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCxO5debFEQ[/video]

A lofty plan with one major drawback. “I thought it would cost tons of money,” says MacGillivray. Never underestimate the power of the human spirit. Caroline put the word out to everyone on her email list. Volunteers began signing up—including students from Blanche Macdonald and the London School of Hairdressing and Aesthetics. Caroline’s home made posters advertised the event and within weeks, the first Beauty Night became a reality.

“The women were really excited,” says MacGillivray. What made Beauty Night an instant hit went far beyond haircuts, cosmetics and massages. The eastside women were given something they had rarely experienced—respect and dignity. “What we do is health care, fostering self-esteem,” explains MacGillivray. “When you believe in yourself, you’re more able to change.”

The women began asking for more Beauty Nights—and Caroline and the volunteers happily obliged. Beauty Night became a monthly event. MacGillivray created an eight week personal development program, including nutrition and fitness. Beauty Night started winning volunteer awards and now has weekly makeovers, fitness and yoga programs, and other events at the PHS Life Skills Centre. Since inception, the non-profit, volunteer run program has provided more than 11,000 makeovers to marginalized women in Vancouver, Victoria, and Toronto. Beauty Night is also creating more opportunities for the women to empower themselves. 20% of the Monday makeover clients have become Beauty Night volunteers.

On December 14th, Beauty Night turns 9, celebrating another noteworthy year. MacGillivray won the gold community spirit award at the Celebrating Women and the Spirit of the Cranes banquet. Katie Benjamin, a long-time Beauty Night volunteer, won a YWCA Young Woman of Distinction award for creating Womyns Gym, which are Beauty Night fitness programs sponsored through Telus.

December 14th is also the 7th anniversary of Beauty Night’s Stocking Drive. Spearheaded by Stocking Coordinator, Blair Lockhart, Product Coordinator, Revel Kunz, and Stockings Designer, Nancy Black, literally thousands of volunteers of all ages are involved. High School students from York House, Churchill Secondary, Prince of Wales, Van Tech and many more, local designers, and Kwantlen college fashion department students sew the stockings. Sparks, Brownies & Girl Guides decorate the stockings.

Thera Wise, BC Hydro, Carrie Wheeler Talent Management, and Blanche McDonald have been collecting donations of skin care, makeup, nail, dental, body, and hair care products to fill the stockings. Donations also include gloves and toques.

The December 14th festivities will also include Knit Fit, providing hand made scarves for Beauty Night clients. Founded six years ago by Laura Mah at the tender age of 11, Knit Fit volunteers include students from Chief Maquinna Elementary School, Templeton High School, Vancouver Technical Secondary School and Britannia Secondary School.

The stockings will be handed out to Beauty Night clients by some special holiday guests, Mrs. Claus and her elves. Laura and her KnitFit cohorts will also be making spirits bright by presenting scarves to the guests. Stockings will also be handed out at other events leading up to Christmas Eve.

Looking ahead, the New Year will ring in a brand new Beauty Night initiative. Inner Beauty Boot Camp will introduce self-care to Beauty Night clients and give them the the tools they need to continue their education, or find new employment opportunities. “It is amazing how far we have come,” says MacGillivray.

Beauty Night’s 7th annual stocking drive will be accepting donations, new hair, skincare, dental care, gloves and socks up until December 14th. For more information about donating product, snacks, money, or become a Beauty Night volunteer, please visit beautynight.org or contact Caroline MacGillivray at 778-885-4526.