Happy New Year!
After our social media hiatus for the holidays, we are pleased to announce that our November Diamonds in the Rough event was a great success, both as an opportunity for networking and fundraising. We were blown away by SELLING OUT all 100 tickets prior to the event date. As a result, the $5,000 NYS building application fee is now covered in its entirety. Many thanks to the coordinators, models, hair stylists, makeup artists, local bakeries, silent auction sponsors, and many others for their contributions in making the show possible. And many more thanks to all of the generous donors, silent auction participants, and attendees who have supported us, helping achieve the first of several financial goals.
We could not have done it without the additional backing of Goldwell NY, Canandaigua National Bank, and Angels of Mercy.
And a final thanks to our ticket sponsors:
P L A T I N U M Judge John Ninfo & Judith Ranaletta Joe & Mary Jo Colligan Richard & Sharon Petersen Steven Neumaier SILVER Antoinette Brush Raney Cook Cynthia Henbest Judge David & Karen Larimer
And while we have been less present on social media, we are still working behind the scenes toward our tentative goal of opening fall of 2022. Currently, we are tackling the following:
Following two different leads on possible locations for the School. Criteria include meeting the NYS requirements for an accredited cosmetology school (of which there are many!), as well as being in an area that's safe and easily accessible to students.
Pursuing both private and federal grants to meet our financial goals, specifically those that offer capital funding.
Engaging with local politicians in order to gain help at the state-level.
Our director, Julie Chapus, is now taking speaking engagements to raise awareness regarding human trafficking and the gap in reintegration services for survivors, as well as to garner support. If you are interested in having Julie speak to your group or at an event, please contact us.
We've added a new section to the website to answer some of the commonly asked questions. Head over here to check out our new FAQ. (More to come on this - follow us on Facebook for upcoming videos!)
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So glad to hear that the November event was so successful! Praying for big breakthroughs soon in funding and finding that perfect home for the school!