In early August, Sensia Studio & Japanese Day Spa partnered with Dress for Success Houston (DFSH) for a beauty makeover collaboration. Sensia wanted to honor a single mom in the DFSH program who was interviewing or recently hired who would benefit from a makeover. After careful consideration, Dress for Success Houston Vice President, Lauren Levicki Courville, and Program Manager, Monica Roberts chose Alesha Green to be their Dress for Success Houston Ambassador for the Sensia makeover.
Alesha Green, Dress for Success Houston Ambassador
Per Monica Roberts, Alesha Green has been a DFSH client since 2015 and is a regular participant in the DFSH ongoing career education program, the Professional Women’s Group (PWG.) Alesha is a single mom of 3; a 9-year-old and twin 7-year-olds. Over the last year and a half, she has lost over 75 pounds. She participated in the DFSH 5K training program and completed the ABB5K in January. Alesha also started DFSH’s 13-Week Financial Literacy Program in August to take control of her finances.
After reading Alesha’s profile, Sensia couldn’t wait to meet her and create a professional look to match her ambitious spirit!
About Dress For Success Houston
A couple weeks before Alesha’s makeover, I met up with Dress for Success Houston Program Manager, Monica Roberts, for a tour of their beautiful Upper Kirby facility. The DFSH building is completely breathtaking. Monica told me they are the first national Dress for Success affiliate to buy and own land to build a facility for its members!
In 2011, they raised over $6.1 million for the new facility, designed pro-bono by Zeigler Cooper Architects. The LEED-certified space gives members a professional environment to obtain mentoring, career training, financial literacy, and childcare during meetings. Plus, Monica mentioned HEB sponsors the food and drink for the member meetings. DFSH thought of everything to help their members’ professional endeavors!
Dress for Success Houston’s main “store” is legendary. It resembles a designer clothing boutique with vaulted ceilings, modern fixtures, and soft lighting to create a high-end shopping experience.
Dress for Success Houston’s main shop room models a designer clothing boutique.
Over 230 agencies refer women to DFSH for 1 hour of suiting and 1 hour of first impressions mentoring. By appointment only, each new client is paired with a personal stylist and selects one suit, a pair of shoes, a handbag, and a pearl set for their interviews. In addition to the professional attire, members are given a portfolio containing two pre-stamped thank you cards and bus passes. A technology room is available for members to update resumes, apply for jobs, and setup Linked-in profiles. DFSH uses a holistic approach to aid the women in their job search through mock interviews, goal setting, and stress coping sessions. If members are offered and accept a job, they may schedule a second appointment to select 8 additional clothing items or 4 sets of scrubs or 2 set of scrubs and 4 professional items.
For Dress for Success Houston, the suiting program is the heart but the continuing education program is the soul! They use the hashtag #beyondthesuit to share how DFHS is impacting the community and the lives of their members. It’s impressive to learn how DFSH is helping members transform their lives and dramatically shifting change in the lives of their children to see opportunity and a better future. In DFSH recent newsletter, 55% of the 1,568 women served year-to-date in 2017 have gained employment. 36% of all clients who walk through DFHS receive some sort of public assistance and after one year in the Professional Women’s Group (PWG) the number decrease to 16%. After a woman completes her third year in the PWG the statistic falls to 3%.
Today, over 3,500 women are served because of a collective force of 13 full-time staff members, thousands of volunteers and interns, generous sponsors, and donations.
The Sensia Studio & Japanese Day Spa Beauty Makeover
It took months of planning but Alesha Green’s Sensia Studio & Japanese Day Spa beauty makeover finally arrived! When I met Alesha, she was dressed in a white spa robe for her first facial. I introduced myself to her and explained that I would be documenting her makeover. Alesha’s Sensia makeover included a facial, a hair session with color, cut and style, and a makeup application session. I photographed Alesha’s before and after pictures and captured video of the makeover process.
Alesha Green before her Sensia facial, hair, and makeup makeover.
During the makeover, I connect with Alesha and learned more about her story. She shared her fears and how she overcame obstacle through Dress for Success Houston’s PWG program. They helped her with her divorce, encouraged her to obtain a college degree, and improved her speaking skills. This changed Alesha’s story and gave her the confidence and tools to create a new life for her and her children.
This video captures the story of Alesha Green’s Sensia makeover. As you watch it, you can see how Alesha magically transform into a beautiful, confident woman. When Alesha left Sensia Studio & Japanese Day Spa, she had a new professional look to match her new career and boost her confidence.
Alesha Green after her Sensia hair and makeup makeover
Taste and See for Yourself
The Sensia Studio & Japanese Day Spa and Dress for Success Houston beauty makeover project was an incredible experience. I learned so much about Dress for Success Houston and their Professional Women’s Group.
Through the PWG, women learn new ideas, meet new people, and try new things. DFSH knows the key for people to move out of poverty is a new network. That’s why DFSH created a space to raise their members’ standards and provide the tools and resources to transform their members into self-sufficient, confident women. In fact, several of the PWG members have finished college, left abusive relationships, and ended public assistance.
During the Dress for Success Houston tour, I noticed a beautiful painting called Schism by Artist Hogan Kimbrell that captures the spirit of the women who participate in the DFSH programs.
Schism by Artist Hogan Kimbrell. A portrayal of departure from one’s old self to one’s new self.
“Schism” is a portrayal of departure from one’s old self to one’s new self. It has been inspired by the transformation women undergo after walking through the doors of Dress for Success, where they receive not only a change in wardrobe, but a change in self-confidence and outlook. “Schism” is a salute to the past that shapes a woman and a future that a woman molds for herself. – Artist Hogan Kimbrell
Taste & See Life friends, doesn’t the Dress for Success and Alesha Green’s story of change inspire you too? We all have the power to change our lives and the lives of others to make our family, community, and world a better place. If you wish to learn more about Dress for Success Houston or find out how you can volunteer or donate, visit dfshouston.org.
Thank you to Dress for Success Houston Program Manager, Monica Roberts for helping me coordinate this project and for hosting the insightful DFSH tour. Also, thank you to the Sensia Studio & Japanese Day Spa stylists who provided the services for Alesha’s makeover. Lastly, thank you Alesha Green for sharing your story of change.
Need more inspiration? Take a look at these powerful posts:
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