Pictured back row from left Shannon, Amy, Brittanie and Payton. Center row from left are Melody, Sammantha, Carley, Katrina, Kendra and Faith and in the front row is Kasie.
(Madison County, NY – May 2015) Community Action’s female mentors and mentees came together to celebrate their own individual beauty and participate in activities that would allow them to become more “in tune” with their inner voice. Studies show that how we feel about ourselves on the inside has a profound effect on everything we do and the relationships we have.
The evening began with the girls introducing themselves and talking about their favorite activity or possession. The girls were asked to write down descriptive words about themselves and exchange descriptive words with their female peers.
After enjoying a snack, a video was viewed from Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty, “Real Beauty Sketches,” which illustrates how most women describe their own physical features more negatively than when describing others.
A discussion took place following the video and there were many smiles around the room as the girls discovered all of the comments on their cards from their peers. The girls also became aware of how negative their own words were. One girl had written that she was “shy” however a fellow participant had written that she was “friendly”.
At the end of the evening, each of the girls were given an “Official Dove Girl” t-shirt and a gift bag of self-care items all designed to remind them of how “beautiful” they are.
CAP’s own Kodi Sylvester facilitated the workshop.
The following funders make Community Action’s Mentoring Program possible: Department of Social Services, Madison County Youth Bureau, OPWDD, United Way of Greater Oneida and many other contributions throughout Madison County.
If you have one hour a week, you can make a difference in a local youth’s life. To hear more about this program at Community Action, please call (315) 697-3588 and ask for Dennis Hoover ext. 24 or Jessica Ginney ext. 42.
For more information about CAP programs visit or call 315-684-3144.