A Message From The Creator

My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return.
Maya Angelou

Inspirational Woman Of The Day

Joan Rivers was born June 8, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York. Her big break came in 1965. A booking on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson turned Joan’s career around, and she became an instant hit. Her first syndicated talk show on daytime TV, That Show With Joan Rivers, combined with appearances on Carson and The Ed SullivanShow, made Joan a household name.

The daughter of Russian immigrant parents, Joan Sandra Molinsky was born June 8, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York. She discovered her comic talent at an early age, by entertaining her father’s work colleagues, but upon graduating she became a buyer for a chain store.

Determined to succeed, Joan appeared in a number of small plays, including a role as a lesbian opposite an equally unknown Barbara Streisand. When it became apparent that acting was not her forte, she switched to comedy and spent the next seven years doing the rounds of New York’s comedy clubs.

Her years as a struggling performer in the coffeehouses of Greenwich Village gave her the experience she needed, when her big break finally came along in 1965. A booking on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson turned Joan’s career around, and she became an instant hit.

Her first syndicated talk show on daytime TV, That Show With Joan Rivers, combined with appearances on Carson and The Ed Sullivan Show, made Joan a household name.

Following a small part in the 1969 film The Swimmer with Burt Lancaster, Joan moved to Hollywood where she wrote a TV-movie,The Girl Most Likely To and directed her first film, Rabbit Test.

By 1983 Joan was headlining Las Vegas, had a Grammy nominated comedy album and two best-selling books. However, by the late 1980s Joan’s career suffered a series of setbacks. Her show was canceled, the industry turned its back on her and, in 1987, her husband and producer of 22 years, Edgar Rosenberg, committed suicide.

Joan moved back to New York and, by 1989, launched a new syndicated daytime talk show. She went on to win an Emmy and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1994, she wrote and starred in Sally Marr and Her Escorts, which earned her a Best Actress Tony nomination.

Most recently Joan designs and sells her own line of costume jewellery on QVC, and presents a number of shows. She has become famous for her red carpet shows and sells out comedy tours on both sides of the Atlantic.

 

Women Making A Difference

L’Oreal Paris Spokesperson and Newly Appointed Women of Worth Ambassador, Julianna Margulies, Encourages America to Celebrate Inspirational Women Making a Difference in their Communities

L’Oreal Paris Spokesperson and Newly Appointed Women of Worth Ambassador, Julianna Margulies, Encourages America to Celebrate Inspirational Women Making a Difference in their Communities

Nominate a Woman of Worth: April 2 – May 31 at womenofworth.com

L’Oreal Paris is proud to partner with brand spokesperson Julianna Margulies to unveil the opening of the Women of Worth awards’ 2012 nomination period.  Now in its seventh consecutive year, Women of Worth has honored and celebrated 60 inspiring women, who are making a difference in their communities. Today, L’Oreal Paris encourages people across America to nominate a woman they admire for her selfless dedication to volunteerism and charitable efforts to help the brand identify 10 more incredible women to join the Women of Worth roster.

“As a woman, wife and mother, I am honored to be representing a program that celebrates women who are raising the bar in society and driving change in their communities,” said brand spokesperson and recently named Women of Worth ambassador, actress Julianna Margulies.

WOMEN OF WORTH PROGRAM
Inspired by the brand’s iconic slogan “Because You’re Worth It,” currently celebrating its 40th anniversary, theWomen of Worth program seeks nominees who are bringing this philosophy to life through their commitment to a variety of relevant social causes.

“The Women of Worth program puts a beautiful face on our iconic brand tagline, ‘Because You’re Worth It,’ and translates it into action,” said L’Oreal Paris President Karen T. Fondu. “I believe deeply in our Women of Worthinitiative and look forward to recognizing the next wave of honorees for their incredible contributions to their communities.”

“Having personally met past Women of Worth honorees, I can say with full confidence that these ‘women of worth’ have dedicated their lives to helping others realize their worth every day,” said Julianna Margulies.

NOMINATIONS
The Women of Worth nomination period starts today, April 2nd, and runs through May 31st*. Visit womenofworth.com to nominate yourself or a woman in your life who saw a need in the community and took action.

PAST HONOREES
Making strides and bringing attention to causes like bullying, nutrition in underserved communities and pediatric cancer, past honorees have dedicated themselves to conquering inadequacies at the local and national level, and empowered others in the community to take a stand.

RECOGNITION
Ten motivational honorees will be chosen for their momentous contributions. Each honoree receives $10,000 for her charitable cause, and one National Honoree will be chosen via a public online vote to receive an additional $25,000 for her charity. All ten honorees will be recognized, and the National Honoree will be announced, at an awards ceremony and dinner hosted by Hearst Magazines and L’Oreal Paris in New York City.

For more information about the Women of Worth Program, nomination applications and previous honoree bios, please visit womenofworth.com.

ABOUT L’OREAL PARIS
The L’Oreal Paris division of L’Oreal USA, Inc. is a total beauty care company that combines the latest technology with the highest in quality for the ultimate in luxury beauty at mass. The L’Oreal Paris brand encompasses the four major beauty categories – hair color, hair care, skincare and cosmetics – and includes such well-known brands as Preference, Excellence, Feria and Healthy Look hair color; Elnett Satin Hairspray, EverPure, EverStrong, EverSleek, EverStyle, VIVE Pro, Studio Line and L’Oreal Kids hair care; Youth Code, Revitalift, Age Perfect, Go 360 Clean, Sublime Bronze, Sublime Sun and Men’s Expert skincare; and the Colour Riche, True Match, Infallible, and Studio Secrets Professional cosmetics collections, along with a portfolio of mascara including Voluminous, Double Extend and Telescopic among many others. For more information on L’Oreal Paris and its brands, and to get comprehensive, personalized beauty information from the experts, visit www.lorealparis.com for access to unique content and dynamic interactive features, including the exclusive “Can I Help You” diagnostic tool.

*Nominations will officially close at 11:59pm EDT on May 31, 2012

Women In The News

Habitat for Humanity New York City and Lowe’s team up for National Women Build Week

Author and television personality Julie Edelman, aka “The Accidental Housewife,” WNBA legend Teresa Edwards and local volunteers revitalize Manhattan Youth Center

NEW YORK, May 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Author and television personality Julie Edelman, aka, “The Accidental Housewife;” local women volunteers from Habitat for Humanity-New York City; Teresa Edwards, five-time Olympian and former WNBA coach and player; and Lowe’s Heroes, all representing “The Build Generation,” raised their paint brushes at the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) Taft Houses Youth Chorus Center today in recognition of National Women Build Week. Held May 5-13, the week-long event is a nationwide initiative of Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program developed in partnership with Lowe’s.

This year’s theme, “The Build Generation,” reflects the event’s goal to recruit and train women volunteers, as well as welcome the next generation of Habitat Women Builders – young women, ages 18-24 – to help support Habitat’s mission to create affordable housing and revitalize communities in need.

This year’s theme, “The Build Generation,” reflects the event’s goal to recruit and train women volunteers, as well as welcome the next generation of Habitat Women Builders – young women, ages 18-24 – to help support Habitat’s mission to create affordable housing and revitalize communities in need.

Today, the women volunteers in New York City are helping revitalize the NYCHA Taft Houses Youth Chorus Center, which provides residents, ages nine to 21 with intensive vocal training and lessons in music history and choreography. In addition to teaching music fundamentals, the Chorus also fosters self-esteem among its young musicians.

“Community revitalization addresses quality-of-life issues in neighborhoods and helps create resilient and sustainable communities,” said Rachel Hyman, Acting Executive Director. “We are so pleased to bring together all these dedicated women volunteers for this particular revitalization project during National Women Build Week. We hope the work we do here today will help inspire the next generation to carry on Habitat’s mission.” 

Edelman, spokeswoman for the New York project and a long-time Women Build supporter, built with women in Paterson, New Jersey, in addition to leading the volunteers revitalizing the Youth Chorus Center.

“As a mother, I understand how important ‘community’ is in the safe, healthy development of our children,” Edelman said. “It’s so important to share our knowledge and passion with younger women, equipping them to join us in this effort to create affordable housing, revitalize communities and build a better world for us all. And I can’t imagine any better way to celebrate this amazing initiative than having women of all ages helping women leading up to Mother’s Day!”

Lowe’s, underwriter of Habitat’s Women Build program, has committed more than $1.3 million to the 2012 National Women Build Week in support of 275 participating affiliates. National Women Build Week is one of the major initiatives supported through Lowe’s five-year, $20 million pledge to Habitat. Lowe’s conducts “How-To” clinics at stores to teach women construction skills, enabling them to support Habitat projects across the country

“Lowe’s has been the proud sponsor of Habitat’s Women Build program since 2004,” said Marshall Croom, chairman of the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation. “Women Build encourages women from all ages and walks of life to pick up their hammers and build affordable homes alongside local families. Lowe’s salutes all the women volunteers who take time to build this week and values the difference Lowe’s and Habitat are making in the lives of families across the nation.”     

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo sends his greetings to New Yorkers in celebration of Women Build Week: “I applaud your commitment, enthusiasm, and support for this valuable goal. You are true ‘builders’ in every sense of the word and tremendous inspiration to each and every New Yorker.”

The U.S. Census Bureau reports more than 12 million children — one out of every six — are living in poverty in the United States, where more than 70 percent of Habitat’s U.S. houses are built in partnership with women heads-of-household. According to the Neighborhood Preservation Coalition of New York State, in New York City, more than 40 percent of renters pay 35 percent or more of their income towards rent– this represents more families in need of affordable housing. Habitat’s Women Build program recruits, educates and inspires women to build and advocate for simple, decent and affordable houses in their communities. Since the inception of Habitat’s Women Build program in 1998 more than 1,900 Habitat for Humanity Women Build houses have been constructed in partnership with low-income families.

About Habitat for Humanity-New York City

Habitat for Humanity – New York City transforms lives and our city by building quality homes for families in need and by uniting all New Yorkers around the cause of affordable housing. With the help of thousands of volunteers every year, Habitat-NYC has built 268 affordable homes in the five boroughs of New York City.

For more information please visit http://www.habitatnyc.org/

About Lowe’s

Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. The company’s signature education grant program, Lowe’s Toolbox for Education®, has donated nearly $5 million in grants to K-12 public schools every year since its inception in 2006. Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers support local community projects and our national nonprofit partners such as Habitat for Humanity and the American Red Cross. In 2011, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $32 million to support communities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility.

About Habitat for Humanity International

Habitat for Humanity International is a global nonprofit Christian housing organization that seeks to put God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. Since 1976, Habitat has served more than 500,000 families by welcoming people of all races, religions and nationalities to construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions. For more information, to donate or to volunteer, please visit www.habitat.org, or follow us at http://www.facebook.com/habitat or at http://www.twitter.com/habitat_org or join Habitat’s blog community at www.habitat.org/blog.