Countywide : Pampering Those Who Need It Most

About 100 women who have suffered the pain of abuse or the devastation of poverty will be treated to a day of pampering and gifts today when a coalition of Orange County businesswomen open a one-day “spa.”

Last year, the same informal coalition of local businesswomen conceived the idea of an event that would help women living in shelters prepare for their return to the workplace.

Through word of mouth, enough professional women volunteered to provide a one-day workshop for 60 women who were referred by local shelters. The women were treated to a makeup consultation and a set of clothes appropriate for the workplace, said Jerri Rosen, president of Rosen, Burling & Brown, an Orange County marketing firm.

Rosen said she thought of the workshop after trying to think of a way she could use her experiences in the business world to help women who were still living in shelters but were about to make that transition into the work force and self-reliance.

“The idea is to reach out to women who have maybe not had the advantages we’ve had and then help them get ready to face the working world,” Rosen said.

More than 60,000 women in Orange County are abused every year, according to Rosen. By the time those women who are able to seek help make it to a shelter, their self-esteem has been severely damaged, she said. By aiding these women in their personal appearance and job interviewing skills, Rosen and the other volunteers hope the workshop will help participants to feel better about themselves.

Working with cash and in-kind donations from large corporations and small local shops, this year’s “Working Wardrobe” event will help 100 women.

Each woman will receive at least five complete outfits, including shoes, handbags and other accessories. In addition, they will get a gift bag filled with cosmetics, pantyhose, an alarm clock and other items.

The women will be transported to and from the event, held this year at a church auditorium in Newport Beach, and there will be on-site child care for those women who need it, Rosen said.

While at the event, the women will get haircuts by professionals who have donated their time and will choose their clothing from a boutique-styled area.