L'Oreal Paris Honors 10 Women of Worth Winners Making a Difference in their Communities

NEW YORK, Nov. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- L'Oréal Paris today announced its 2015 Women of Worth honorees: 10 extraordinary women from across the country who are selflessly, tirelessly and passionately volunteering their time and energy to serve their communities and the world. The 2015 Women of Worth honorees include a college student who created technology to connect food banks with donors, the mother of a fallen Navy Seal who provides veteran entrepreneurs with interest-free loans, and an event planner who throws birthday parties for children who live in homeless shelters. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Women of Worth is inspired by the L'Oréal Paris belief that "Every Woman is Worth It" and honors the intrinsic beauty and worth of extraordinary everyday women who are making a difference in their communities.

The public is invited to support these inspirational women who go above and beyond to change their communities by sharing their stories on social media and voting for a National Honoree who will receive an additional $25,000 for her cause. Watch the 2015 Women of Worth honorees' stories at WomenofWorth.com and show support for the woman's story that resonates most by voting for her to become National Honoree, once per day through Nov. 20, 2015:

• Visit WomenofWorth.com and register using your e-mail address
• "Like" a post about a favorite honoree on the L'Oréal Paris Facebook page (www.facebook.com/lorealparis)
• Re-tweet a mention about one of the Women of Worth made by L'Oréal Paris on Twitter (www.twitter.com/lorealparisusa)

"Each year, the nominations we receive for Women of Worth are both moving and inspiring. As we celebrate our 10th Anniversary, we take this time to reflect upon the continuous achievements of our past Women of Worth, as well as to celebrate the efforts of the 2015 Honorees and welcome them into our family," said Karen T. Fondu, president of L'Oréal Paris. "The 2015 Women of Worth are the embodiment of our brand belief that celebrates the individual beauty and intrinsic worth of every woman. They are role models and powerful examples of why giving back is beautiful."

MAKE YOUR #WOMANCRUSHWEDNESDAY WORTH IT
To further celebrate women making a difference in their community, L'Oréal Paris is encouraging social media users to make Wednesday, November 4 a #WomanCrushWednesday focused on inspirational women. According to a survey by ORC International, social media posts that feature people doing good inspires others, with one in three saying that seeing a post about helping others, encourages them to do the same. However, 77% of people shared that on #WomanCrushWednesday they do not see posts highlighting women making a difference in the lives of others. To help shift this conversation, L'Oréal Paris is encouraging the posting of a Women of Worth story, image and/or video on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with the hashtags #WCW and #WomenofWorth. Together, the power of social media can be harnessed to demonstrate the impact of extraordinary women making a difference.   

MEET THE 2015 WOMEN OF WORTH HONOREES
Selected by a revered panel of judges, including leaders in business and media, the 2015 honorees were chosen from a record number of nominations for their unwavering commitment, drive and desire to better the lives of those around them. Each will receive $10,000 from L'Oréal Paris to support her charitable cause or project, along with continued support and a national platform to share her story. United in their passion to improve the lives of others, the 2015 Women of Worth support a wide range of causes and projects:

• Maria Rose Belding – Washington, D.C.; Pre-med student at American University who created the MEANS Database, an interactive website allowing food pantries and soup kitchens to quickly coordinate exchanges of excess food items between each other and from local donors.
• Catherine Curry-Williams – Valley Village, Calif.; Founder, Shane's Inspiration, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing communities around the world with resources to build inclusive playgrounds for children for all abilities.
• Elissa Davey – Vista, Calif.; Founder and CEO, Garden of Innocence, a nonprofit organization that provides personalized, dignified burials for abandoned children (up to age eight), many of whom were found abandoned or have passed away in hospitals and left unclaimed by their parents.
• Jaha Dukureh – Atlanta, Ga.; Survivor of female genital mutilation and Founder of Safe Hands for Girls, the only American nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering and educating young girls and communities about the dangers and effects of FGM.
• SuEllen Fried – Prairie Village, Kan.; Co-Founder, Reaching Out From Within, a nonprofit that provides rehabilitation services for prisoners through expert-led, intensive discussion sessions and training programs that help them understand the reasons behind their violent behaviors.
• Teri Kelsall – Laguna Woods, Calif.; Co-founder, The Jonas Project, an organization dedicated to helping veterans with an entrepreneurial drive develop formal business plans and prepare pitches for start-up capital. The organization offers low interest loans for business expenses, and mentorship from network of Veteran entrepreneurs and business professionals.
• Kathy Koenigsdorf – East Islip, N.Y.; Founder, Jake Koenigsdorf Foundation, raises money for substance abusers who want help but cannot afford treatment centers. Founded after Kathy's son, Jake, died of an overdose at 21-years-old.
• Schinnell Leake – College Park, Md.; Founder, Extra-Ordinary Birthdays, a nonprofit that organizes individualized birthday parties for homeless children to make them feel loved and valued.
• Alison O'Neil – Atlanta, Ga.; Founder, Beauty Becomes You, a nonprofit that provides aesthetic treatments including hair, skin, nail care, and massage therapy, to the elderly, a population often overlooked, in an effort to bolster self-worth and combat "Failure to Thrive Syndrome."
• Melaney Smith – Athens, Ga.; Founder, Books for Keeps, an organization that provides 45,000 books each year to children in need to prevent them from falling behind in school during a summer without books.

To learn more about Women of Worth, read and watch honorees' stories and vote for the 2015 Women of Worth National Honoree, visit WomenofWorth.com, and L'Oréal Paris on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lorealparis) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lorealparisusa). Follow the conversation using the hashtag #WomenofWorth.

* This survey was conducted by ORC International using their Online CARAVAN® Omnibus. The survey was conducted among a demographically representative U.S. sample of 1,000 adults 18 years of age or older. The survey was conducted between Thursday, October 22 – Sunday, October 25, 2015. Completed interviews are weighted by five variables: age, sex, geographic region, race and education to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total U.S. population, 18 years of age and older.

ABOUT L'ORÉAL PARIS
The L'Oréal Paris division of L'Oréal 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'Oréal Paris brand encompasses the four major beauty categories – hair color, haircare, skincare and cosmetics – and includes such well-known brands as Preference, Excellence, Féria and Healthy Look hair color; Advanced Haircare, Advanced Hairstyle, Elnett Satin Hairspray, EverPure, EverStrong, EverSleek, EverCrème, EverStyle, EverCurl and L'Oréal Paris Kids hair care; Advanced Suncare, Youth Code, Revitalift, Age Perfect, Ideal Clean, Ideal Moisture, Sublime Bronze and Men's Expert skincare; and the Colour Riche, True Match, Infallible, Visible Lift and MAGIC cosmetics collections, along with a portfolio of mascara including Voluminous, Double Extend and Telescopic among many others. For more information on L'Oréal Paris and its brands, and to receive personalized beauty advice, expert tips and exclusive beauty content 24-7 (wherever you may be), check out www.lorealparisusa.com.

SOURCE L’Oreal Paris

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