Skin Inc. has partnered with Beauty Becomes You (a 501(c) (3) charitable foundation) and its founder Alison Tara O’Neil to help seniors who are experiencing loneliness during this time of isolation. Since many of us have our careers on hold as we wait for business to resume, why not take the time to reach out to a senior to bring them joy and bring yourself joy in return?
This initiative is inspired by the need to reach out and “touch” each other, both for senior adults, family caregivers and other individuals experiencing loneliness or needing uplifting words of encouragement.
Beauty Becomes You normally provides beauty services to this population. In this time of separation, BBY is calling on volunteers from the beauty industry and beyond to take a few minutes for this project to affect your life and the life of others. Below are the steps to send a letter on behalf of this initiative in addition to the letter template.
The difference between our initiative and others is that we want the senior to write back to you. This will inspire them and help increase their sense of self-worth and meaning and help create a special relationship that can go on beyond this period of hibernation.
Step 1. Contact a nearby senior community, senior center, church with a program for seniors or your local Meals on Wheels program that would like to help boost HOPE of their residents, or community during this time.
Step 2. Contact their program/activities director and tell them that you are going to send letters from your salon, school or spa, organization, club, or individually to them for their disbursement to residents or participants in their program.
Step 3. Once you receive confirmation, PLEASE use the template below to write your letter. Since you will not know the names of the people who to write to, please begin the letter with the salutation “Hello my friend,” and please close your note with the salutation, “Beauty becomes you.” These salutations have special meaning. My father Bob O’Neil, whose final words to me inspired the creation of this organization, always greeted people with “Hello, my friend,” even strangers. He did not know a stranger. Close your letter with “Beauty becomes you,” which means it is the things you do for others, that MAKE you beautiful inside and out.
Step 4. If you are so driven, you can become a Beauty Becomes You volunteer and offer a FREE service to them after the quarantine is over. If you do this and they come for the service, please let us know. Post that on Beauty Becomes You FB page. We will also add you to our press release for your area to help boost your business after the great hibernation is over.
Step 5. Add postage, mail your letter and wait for the reply. If possible, to help ensure a return letter to you, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope with your letter. You can also include your photo if you wish and ask for theirs.
Step 6. Please Help us track who this touches and help you boost your business by posting on our Beauty Becomes You FB, and also our *partner, Second Wind Dreams FB page.
[Begin letter template]
Hello my friend,
1) Tell them about an older adult who inspired you (If you haven’t told that person as well, tell them).
2) Thank them for writing back to you.
3) Include any personal notes you want to add.
They say if we want to feel better, the best way is to help someone else feel special. With what you are going through, you also need encouragement and through this request you are also giving them a sense of purpose and meaning that their letter matters to YOU. So, I hope you’ll write me back.
Beauty becomes you,
YOUR NAME
[End letter template]
We hope you’ll become an ongoing Beauty Becomes You volunteer, so we can continue doing good in your community long after the threat of the COVID-19 virus has passed. We need to support each other ALWAYS, and we will always continue to support you through spreading the only good virus…that of GOOD WILL. There is NO greater gift than giving of one’s heart. Of course, a lot of people are going to appreciate more than ever, getting their haircut, nails done and a facial and massage, ourselves included. This is a time of opportunity for us all, a time to grow and become closer as a community. Please join us in our effort to TOUCH the hearts and souls of many until we can touch each other again!
