Women's Day of Self-Esteem

May 12, 2010

Our female participants were transported to New Orleans Mardi Gras as they entered the Weingart café on the evening of Wednesday, May 12, 2010 for the annual Women’s Day of Self-Esteem. Decked out in purple, green and gold decorations, the Weingart Café set the tone for an uplifting and inspirational evening that promoted well being in all areas of life, including mental, physical, relationship and financial health to name but a few.  Guest speakers included the eloquent Songhai Miguda-Armstead, Assistant Supervising Deputy City Attorney at City of Los Angeles.  Entertainment was provided by Open Door staff member, Braxton Young, who was DJ for the evening as well as a singer Demetra, a participant in the Project Paycheck program. 

The evening also featured a Memorial for Raquel Palacios, the beloved Program Coordinator for the Women’s Renaissance program, who passed away earlier this year. Several members of Raquel’s family were in attendance, and Raquel’s daughter reminded everyone to get regular check-ups to catch illnesses early. Staff and participants toasted the memory of Raquel with sparking apple cider.  Raffle prizes, including beautiful watches, were given out throughout the evening and the festivities concluded with gift bags for everyone!

Thank you to all our staff and volunteers who organized and hosted the Women’s Day of Self-Esteem, which brought smiles and lots of joy to the ladies who currently call the Weingart Center home.

We would also like to thank all of the generous companies that sponsored our event, especially Neilsen Media for donating water bottles that promote proper hydration, Walt Disney Studios for donating cute tote bags, CondomJunle.com for donating condoms and personal lubricants which promote safe sex practices, LA Shares for donating micro-dermabrasion kits and nail care items, and Southern California Gas Company for donating sewing kits and other goodies.