A return to love
Dress for Success Vancouver’s Professional Women’s Group (PWG) graduate Wendee Lee will be hosting a Community Action Project (CAP) this February focused on practicing self-love and building stronger bonds within communities.
In June 2015, Wendee’s concept awarded her a scholarship to attend the annual Success Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona by Dress for Success Worldwide, where she received training and support in preparation for executing her project. With a passion for sharing her knowledge on the importance of self-love, Wendy’s goals for the program are well aligned with the mission of Dress for Success as a whole.
“It’s about empowering yourself so you can bring your best to any relationship you have, whether in the workplace, your family or with your friends,” she says.
Self-love day
Wendee’s project will consist of a one-day workshop held for Dress for Success clients on February 13, coinciding with the International day of self-love. The goal is for participants to walk away with a renewed sense of why it’s important to love oneself and be equipped with the tools to do so. The session will focus on educating participants on the various types of self-love and will lead them through a series of exercises designed to challenge debilitating mindsets, such as negative self-talk.
An important component of the day also lies in the group setting. “The fellowship aspect is very important to the program’s effectiveness. When you stand together with others who have similar desires to make positive changes in their lives, amazing things can happen,” says Wendee.
The idea for this program was birthed out of Wendee’s own journey of self discovery. Seeing women over-exerting themselves in order to fulfill the many roles required of them, Wendee saw an opportunity to take action through the CAP project. “Women are natural over-givers. If we don’t love ourselves properly, we can’t serve others as well. I saw this as a real gap in our society for working women who are trying to do it all. It certainly was the case for me”.
Giving back
Wendee’s journey with Dress for Success began with a dressing services appointment a couple years ago. Now graduated from the 18-month PWG program, she feels that the support of this program along with colleagues from the program have contributed immeasurably to her personal and professional growth.
“The PWG program was so amazing and great for my development as it provided such great mentors. When I faced challenges on my own path, it was great to have such a supportive group behind me. This makes a world of difference to your confidence and growth.” In sharing her CAP project, Wendee is hoping to do the same for others on February 13 by providing a place of support and connectivity to foster personal growth.
