L'Oréal Paris Hosts Star-Studded Women of Worth Celebration in Honor of 10 Heroic Women & Announces Susie Vybiral of Room Redux as National Honoree

Nominate a non-profit leader in your hometown for their chance to be named a 2023 honoree

NEW YORK, Dec. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- #1 global beauty brand, L'Oréal Paris USA continues to celebrate and elevate the stories of extraordinary female non-profit leaders by announcing the 2022 L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth National Honoree and Karen T. Fondu Impact Award Winner on December 1 at a star-studded event at the Ebell of Los Angeles with Helen Mirren, Camila Cabello, H.E.R., Aja Naomi King, Katherine Langford and more.

For the first time ever since the program's inception, this year's celebration will open to the public where viewers from across the nation can experience the excitement of the in-person event from the comfort of their homes starting on December 12 at www.WomenofWorth.com and L'Oréal Paris' YouTube channel. Consumers will be able to watch important panel conversations that reinforce this year's honoree's stories including:

• "Closing the Gap on Socio-Economic Inequalities," moderated by actress, Helen Mirren
• "Mental Health: A Growing Crisis," moderated by singer, songwriter and activist, Camila Cabello
• "Serving Our Nation's Youth," moderated by actress and activist, Aja Naomi King

With powerful stories born from personal experiences, this year's L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth honorees represent a range of important causes. Each honoree received a $20,000 grant for their non-profit organizations, mentorship from the L'Oréal Paris network and a national platform to share their stories and missions with the world, with 2022 National Honoree, Susie Vybiral of Room Redux and 2015 Women of Worth honoree, Maria Rose Belding of MEANS Database receiving additional recognition for their work.

Following a nationwide, online public vote, Susie was selected as the 2022 National Honoree and was presented by Katherine Langford, actress and brand ambassador. She received an additional $25,000 to support her mission of encouraging healing and improving the lives of children who have faced abuse, through Room Transformation. Separately, The Karen T. Fondu Impact Award was presented by women's rights activist and the brand's international spokesperson, Jaha Dukureh to Maria Rose Belding of MEANS Database for demonstrating extraordinary success in the time since she was named a Women of Worth honoree in 2015.

"Every year for nearly two decades, L'Oréal Paris has recognized 10 courageous women who are fearless in fighting for their causes and helping others in need," said L'Oréal Paris USA President, Ali Goldstein. "This year is particularly special as the Women of Worth network reaches 170 women strong who so beautifully embody our brand's mantra, "Because You're Worth It."

L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth National Honoree: Susie Vybiral, Room Redux, New Braunfels, Texas

Susie founded Room Redux, an international non-profit organization that transforms the rooms and lives of children who have faced physical and/or sexual abuse. This is done anonymously and in one day. Room Transformations give children a fresh start, while changing the trajectory of their lives and breaking the cycles of abuse. Susie's own life experiences have served as a profound force in understanding the pain of child abuse victims and the importance of changing their environment. She knows that many times abuse occurs in a child's own room or bed, making the room itself feel unsafe. As a result, children may stop sleeping, start acting out or may become depressed, avoiding their room entirely. Through donations and grants, Susie and her team at Room Redux are fully transforming children's rooms so they will feel comfortable and safe to heal, break the cycle of abuse, and ultimately change the trajectory of their lives.

Karen T. Fondu Impact Award Winner: Maria Rose Belding, MEANS Database, Washington, D.C.

The Impact Award was created in honor of L'Oréal Paris past President and Chairman of Women of Worth, Karen T. Fondu. Each year, the award is given to a past Women of Worth honoree who demonstrates an extraordinary impact on her cause in the years since being recognized and receives an additional $10,000 to continue her efforts. This year, the award was presented by Jaha Dukureh and awarded to Maria Rose Belding of MEANS Database for uplifting her community and elevating the worth of those around her. Since being named a L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth honoree, Maria's gone on to establish the Community Meal program, which helped source nutritious meals for those in need by investing more than $3.5 million dollars in local food providers. She's also served more than 550,000 meals across the country with her non-profit.

The 2022 honorees and their non-profits include:

• Anna Blount – Monroe, GA; Founder, Team Up Mentoring: fosters generational change for families affected by trauma
• Jasmine Babers – Rock Island, IL; Founder, Love Girls Magazine: builds self-esteem in young women by providing them leadership opportunities and a safe place to tell their stories
• Jennie Lobato – Atlanta, GA; CEO and Founder, drawchange: empowers impoverished children through the use of art therapy-based programming
• Mindy Atwood – Hilliard, OH; CEO and Founder, Patches of Light: assists families facing financial hardship as a result of a child diagnosed with catastrophic health issues
• Rachel Rutter – Phoenixville, PA; Founder and Executive Director, Project Libertad: provides newcomer immigrant youth and their families in the Greater Philadelphia Area with essential, youth-led, and youth-centered legal and social services
• Radhika Shah – Henderson, NV; Founder and Chair of Youth Programs Committee, Real Autism Difference: positively impacts lives of individuals and families with autism every day through education, activities, care and more
• Rina Madhani – New York, NY; Executive Director and Co-Founder, Start Lighthouse: revitalizes children's love for reading by facilitating immersive experiences, hosted onsite at NY Public Schools
• Shannon McPeek – San Diego, CA; CEO and Founder, Operation Happy Nurse: educates nursing professionals on how to balance work-related stress, anxiety, and depression together
• Susan Burton – Los Angeles, CA; Founder, A New Way of Life Reentry Project: promotes healing, power, and opportunity for formerly incarcerated people
• Susie Vybiral – New Braunfels, TX; CEO and Founder, Room Redux: encourages healing and improves the lives of children who have faced abuse, through Room Transformation

In addition to celebrating this year's class, L'Oréal Paris will once more join forces with Points of Light, the world's largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, to find the next class of 10 honorees for 2023. Starting today, consumers are invited to nominate a woman they know at www.WomenofWorth.com for a chance to be named one of 2023 honorees, receiving up to $45,000 for their cause, a national platform to tell their stories and an opportunity to build a network that amplifies their causes to make an even greater impact in the lives of others.

For more information about the philanthropic program, this year's honoree class and how to experience the live event from home, visit www.WomenofWorth.com, and L'Oréal Paris Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Pinterest. Join the conversation and follow along by using hashtag #LOrealWomenofWorth.

About L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth 
For the last 17 years, L'Oréal Paris' signature philanthropic program, Women of Worth has brought to life the brand's iconic tagline, "Because You're Worth It," by championing women whose unwavering resilience, bravery and courage show the power of owning one's worth.

Each year, ten founders and leaders of grassroot non-profits are recognized for their work across a breadth of charitable causes to receive charitable funding, mentorship through the L'Oréal Paris network to build their organizations and a national platform to share their story.

About L'Oréal Paris USA
The L'Oréal Paris division of L'Oréal USA, Inc. is a total beauty care brand dedicated to empowering women by offering luxurious and innovative products and services available in the mass market.  The brand's signature tagline, "Because I'm Worth It," was born in the United States in 1973 to celebrate the beauty and intrinsic self-worth of women, and for more than 100 years, L'Oréal Paris has been providing women around the world with products in four major beauty categories: hair color, haircare, skincare and cosmetics. With L'Oréal's invention of hair color in 1909, the brand continues to serve as a leading innovator of hair products across color, care, and styling with brands such as Superior Preference, Féria, Colorista, Elvive, the Ever Collection, and Elnett Satin Hairspray. L'Oréal Paris provides scientifically-advanced skincare products that are tested to address individual skin concerns through its renowned brands Revitalift, Pure-Sugar, Pure-Clay, Age Perfect, and Sublime Bronze. L'Oréal Paris' iconic cosmetics include best-seller Voluminous Lash Paradise, as well as the Infallible, True Match, Colour Riche, Voluminous, and Visible Lift collections. For more information about L'Oréal Paris and to receive personalized advice, expert tips, and exclusive content, please www.LOrealParisUSA.com or follow on Instagram (@LOrealParis), Twitter (@LOrealParisUSA), Facebook (@LOrealParisUSA) TikTok (@LOrealParisUSA) and Pinterest (@LOrealParisUSA).

Media Contact
Amanda Yodice
[email protected]

SOURCE L’Oréal Paris