Our mantra at Beauty by Dolly is a clean, holistic approach to wellness. That means creating a safe space, so when you settle into our chairs, you can—even if for just 10 minutes—step away from the worries of your day-to-day, enjoy personalized service, and leave our studio feeling confident and comfortable in your skin.
But we also know that in order to be our best selves, we have to look out for one another, too. That’s why amidst the frenzy of shopping and parties this season, we want to highlight five organizations who bring the gift of wellness to in-need populations—from those coping with mental illness to young girls combating gender stereotypes—and how you can help.
National Alliance on Mental Illness
In recent years, mental health has begun shedding its taboo reputation. Instead, people are embracing talking openly about emotional struggles, therapy, and serious mental illnesses. To that end, NAMI provides advocacy, education, support, and public awareness to individuals and families through nationwide walks, efforts to change policy, and extensive information on practical topics, like Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits. Donations help the organization keep up with these kinds of resources.
“About so much more than running”—that’s a tagline for this nonprofit that encourages young girls to be healthy and confident through creative activities that incorporate running. That means 5Ks across the U.S. as well as a week-long camp to foster friendship and self-esteem. Beyond traditional financial donations, you can volunteer your time, too. GOTR has 200 local chapters looking for coaches, team leaders, logistics support, and more.
According to The Sentencing Project, the number of people in U.S. prisons and jails in the U.S. is now 2.2 million people, a 500% increase over the last 40 years. That has led to overcrowding behind bars and a huge financial burden for taxpayers. On top of that, incarceration hasn’t been proven effective in reducing crime or improving safety. The Prison Yoga Project saw this problem and the rampant physical and mental struggles happening within prisons, and decided to address these issues by promoting reform rather than punishment. They offer yoga and mindfulness classes to inmates to increase self-awareness, encourage a peaceful environment, and develop empathy. Classes have been shown to reduce the rate of recidivism. Donations fund their ever-growing program scope, research, and training.
Sometimes you need to feel beautiful on the outside, in order to feel the love on the inside. This is the motto behind Cosmetics for a Cause, a nonprofit that collects unused makeup products from companies and individuals to donate to women who are unemployed, recovering from
sexual assault, living in safe houses, and recovering from cancer. It started in 2012 after founder and then-high school student Erica Harreveld realized that having access to makeup and acne creams to cover her blemishes were powerful tools that instilled the confidence she needed. To date, Cosmetics for a Cause has collected and distributed more than $5 million in makeup and beauty care items to women in need. You can donate your makeup here or sign up to help distribute products to the network of nonprofits they work with.
Before you expect people to get back on their feet following hardship, you have to equip them with tools like confidence and self-love. That’s the idea behind this privately funded organization that’s changing the way we label homelessness. It starts with encouraging homeless men and women to 30 days of early morning runs and once they’ve completed 90% of those runs, they can enter the second phase of Back on My Feet’s program, called Next Steps. This workforce development program includes financial literacy classes, job skills training, and access to the organization’s network of corporate partners. In addition to monetary donations, you can donate gently used sneakers, sponsor an event through your work, or run with their community.