Lodi House to host ‘Be Awesome!’ dress showcase
In an effort to better educate the community about its mission, Lodi House, a shelter for homeless women and their children, is hosting a dress showcase to highlight the nonprofit and the women its serves.
The event, titled “Be Amazing!” is scheduled for Sunday March 19 from 4 to 6 p.m, at First Baptist Church, 267 N. Mills Ave.
“I want them to learn how extensive our program is,” said Lodi House Executive Director Shelby Young on Tuesday. “A lot of times when people say they’re a homeless shelter, it can just mean a place with a bunch of beds in it, and Lodi House actually has programs that work with our residents to help them find jobs, save money and learn how to budget.
“We provide free therapy so they can overcome the challenges and create new pathways for self sufficiency. It’s a working program. We’re really walking with them, problem-solving with them, helping them set goals so they can have successful, healthy, independent lives. When you say homeless shelter that doesn’t really cover it. Many people don’t know the fullness of our program and how it’s impacting our community in positive ways.”
The event will feature a dessert bar and “new to you” dresses perfect for upcoming proms and formal events. The formal wear — including some unworn dresses with original sales tags — was gathered from donations made to the Lodi House Thrift Store. Dresses are bargain priced from $10 to $40 each, and will be available for purchase at the event.
According to Young, this is a chance for mother-daughter time and to hear inspirational stories about Lodi House and the women that it has benefited.
“I just wanted a fun event for women and their daughters, and I wanted to connect the thrift store to Lodi House because a lot of people don’t realize that the Lodi House Thrift Store actually creates revenue for the Lodi House Program,” Young said.
Speakers for the event include Lodi House therapist Jenna Santoya and Lodi House graduate and former resident Rhiannon Davis.
Santoya first began helping at Lodi House as a high school student by baby-sitting the children. She saw a need for an outdoor play set, and she got a grant to fund it. She went on to college, became a marriage and family therapist and currently provides several hours of therapy services a month at Lodi House.
Davis came to Lodi House as a homeless mother of two children. She graduated from the program in 2015 and today is working full time and continuing her education while caring for her children.
“I’m going to be speaking about the safe environment that Lodi House is for women and their children. I’m going to be speaking about the opportunities for jobs that it gives you and how God worked for my life through the women that direct the place,” Davis said. Young said the name “Be Amazing!” reflects the philosophy of Lodi House.
“One of our core beliefs is there is power in words,” Young said. “We believe every woman is designed to be amazing. That is our philosophy at Lodi House and in life. We want to encourage women to be who they are, which is amazing.”
Young said she decided to hold the event to give youth an opportunity to get involved in the community and give people a chance to give away old prom dresses that only get worn once.
Tickets for the event are available for $10 each for open seating. A table of eight may be reserved for $60. Reservations can be made by calling Lodi House at 3346346 or emailing at beamazing@lodihouse.org.
The event is not limited to mothers and daughters but to anyone who wants to learn more about Lodi House.
Lodi House was established in 1999 with the goal of creating a secure, structured environment for homeless women and children.
Lodi House provides a specialized and structured program that supports women in finding work, saving money and learning healthy life skills to become independent.
“Lodi House is essential in our community because it is transforming lives from being lost in a cycle of poverty into creating a healthy lifestyle of independence,” Young said. “With homelessness being such an huge issue many times women with children just need some support to get them to self sufficiency. If they don’t get support at that critical time then they will continue to spiral and things become worse and coping mechanisms often become destructive for them and their children and so Lodi House stepping in and supporting them in a very critical time can completely change the direction that they’re going in a positive way.”