Velocity Fashion Show

Last night was so much fun! Fred Parry and his amazing team at Inside Columbia Magazine hosted a fashion show last night at Stephens College. The best part about this show..... all proceeds benefits the Assistance League of Mid-Missouri and Women's Network Committee, Changing The Odds! As many of you know I co-chaired this committee from July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2010 and LOVE this committee! This committee started in 1998 by Brenda Baker because of President Bill Clinton wanted to get people off welfare in 5 years. What did that mean? It meant that people who hadn't held a job in years would be re-entering the workforce and they would need help. This committee would not promise a job but rather make the process easier. Originally this committee helped women who had just gotten out of prison, stayed home to raise a family, was in a drug/alcohol treatment program or a shelter. Fast forward 12 years to today... our mission is still the same except due to the economy we are now also helping women in the general public. Women who are 20 years old to women in their 60's and some who don't have GED's to those that have PhD's. A wide variety of women but our amazing committee is always there to help! We provide 2 free seminar's each year and give them resources such as a job assessment (to figure out what they like which will help them find a job they love and could move up the career ladder), interviewing skills, resume writing, dressing for success and then we follow all this up with a fashion show from the Assistance League of Mid-Missouri. The ALMM has been a partner for many years and gives each of our participants a $25 gift certificate to use to shop in Upscale Resale for interview outfits or job related clothing. This truly is an amazing committee and I am so proud to be involved. I was asked last night to share a little bit of this history so that the crowd would understand why this fashion show was important to helping those women in our own community. Thank you Fred Parry, Anne Churchill and the amazing staff at Inside Columbia Magazine! Great job to the new co-chairs, Barb King and Christina Walker... you girls are doing amazing things with this committee! :)