To The Reader’s Forum:

REALiFE Church wishes to thank all who assisted in so many ways to present the fourth annual Treasured Gems makeover event on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

Community Helping Hands donates the second floor and maintenance staff for the day. This faith-based outreach invites women of various circumstances to experience a day of pampering and a free dinner. The heart of this outreach is to help all Gems to understand that they are of worth, beautiful and loved. Volunteers from area churches, Chautauqua County Maternal Health, ANEW Center, CASAC, CASA, E2CC BOCES LPN and cosmetology classes participated.

Hairstyles, make-up, manicures, pedicures, gently used clothing, photography, coffee and cookies were provided in the first session, then the ladies walked the red carpet into the cafe to guitar and violin music and served chicken cordon bleu, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables and bread with a dessert of grilled doughnuts, creamed cheese and berries. They listened to Pastor Julie Anderson talk about our identity in difficult circumstances. We hosted the largest group of women yet, with close to 100 attending. Each lady received a gift bag.

Thanks goes to CHH interim director Shawn Whitmer and Jeff Smith of St. Susan’s Soup Kitchen for allowing us a table to have applications; Pastor Tim Smart and his wife Kerri for providing the music; Allie Grice and Meridith Rohlin for singing; Heleena Walters for the meal; Kondak Catering for the donation of bread and vegetables; Kara Rusco and Megan Grice-Rohlin of E2CC BOCES cosmetology and LPN programs; to the volunteers from Praise Fellowship, Love, Inc., for the purses; Kira Spencer of Light in the Dark Photography, Natalie Smart and Aubry Younger for candid photos; to all who prepared the gift bags, many thanks; to Jessica Green who spear-headed a basket raffle in a week with gifts from UPMC Chautauqua WCA, EBE’s Consignment, Monroe Auto, Allen Street Diner, Salon 1, Jamestown Jammers tickets, and more, plus private individuals who made baskets and Celoron Legion for hosting our fundraiser; to Heleena Walter for arranging the concert with John Tibbs and Dave Pettigrew who donated half their proceeds to Treasured Gems.

You all have been instrumental in showing love to women who may never have felt special in their lives. You have given freely when it was hard. To my Treasured Gems committee, thank you for everything. You have all sown seeds of love into the women of Chautauqua County, may those seeds grow and flourish because we know that God has a plan of love for all of us.

Shari Grice

Jamestown

Treasured Gems committee member