Lise Watier gives confidence boost to homeless girls through new program

TORONTO, Nov. 6, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Canadian cosmetics icon, Madame Lise Watier, is helping homeless young women build their confidence with a major contribution to a new Covenant House Toronto program that includes everything from self care to career planning to empower the agency's female residents.

A new girls' lounge will serve as home base for The Lise Watier: This is Me! program, complete with workshops led by female business experts, entrepreneurs and community leaders.

Madame Lise Watier, founder of the Lise Watier Foundation and former president of Lise Watier Cosmétiques, joined Covenant House Executive Director Bruce Rivers for an official ceremony today to launch the program and open the new girls' lounge. Special guests   included Toronto City Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam and former Canadian model Stacey McKenzie, who will be among the women providing workshops for the girls' group at the downtown agency for homeless youth.

The Lise Watier Foundation has committed $500,000 over seven years to support this important initiative. Lise Watier Cosmétiques makes an exceptional contribution to the foundation through the sale of two of its products, Rose Tendresse lipstick and Sparkle of Hope lip gloss. One hundred percent of revenues from their sales goes to foundation initiatives in various regions across Canada. In Toronto, the sale of these products will support This is Me!.

About 40 percent of the 3,000 young people who depend on Covenant House services annually are young women. Most have come from abusive and neglectful homes. On the street, young women are 10 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than their peers. Most have also had few, if any, strong female role models.

"We are incredibly thankful for the generous contribution from The Lise Watier Foundation that has made this much-needed program possible," Rivers says. "Young women are often victimized and exploited on the street and often have greater challenges with self-esteem. The new lounge space, female-centred activities and the support they will find here will help more of these young women transition successfully to independence."

Developed with input from the female residents, the program's workshops and activities cover a wide scope of practical life skills, such as budgeting and household repairs, plus business-savvy courses, career planning and personal branding.

"Self confidence begins when you are young with love, understanding, encouragement, and dreams," Madame Lise Watier says. "For many young girls, the dreams, love, encouragement and understanding have never been part of their lives. If we can help these young women build their self-esteem, become more confident and prepare them for a better future, we not only help them, but also their future children and eventually our entire society."

"We have to love them. Love heals and sometimes, love does miracles! And I believe in miracles."

Girls in the program will also be paired with mentors, have access to one-on-one counselling and participate in group outings. The newly constructed and attractively decorated lounge will provide a safe space for them to gather and support one another.

The Lise Watier Foundation is a national non-profit organization with a mission to empower women and girls to live without limits. The foundation supports organizations to help move women out of poverty into economic independence and to end violence against women.

Covenant House, the country's largest homeless youth agency, offers the broadest range of services under one roof, including crisis shelter and longer-term housing, employment and educational assistance. To do all of this, the agency relies on donors for 80 percent of its $20-million annual operating budget.

Image with caption: "Canadian cosmetics icon Madame Lise Watier is giving a confidence boost to homeless young women at Covenant House Toronto through a new life skills and mentoring program in its own lounge funded by the Lise Watier Foundation. Madame Watier puts a finishing touch on former resident Vanessa and current resident Marlene during the official program launch (CNW Group/Lise Watier Cosmétiques Inc.) (CNW Group/Covenant House)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131106_C5050_PHOTO_EN_33068.jpg

SOURCE: Covenant House