The mission of GlamourGals is to empower teens to provide complementary beauty makeovers to elderly women living in senior homes. This movement of compassion is one that has touched and impacted two populations-the elderly and adolescent. The time a teen volunteer spends at a GlamourGals makeover goes a long way to help senior residents feel loved and beautiful. Through GlamourGals journals, volunteers are able to share stories about the women they meet and the lessons they learn from them. Vashti, a rising high school senior, wrote the following journal entry entitled “What GlamourGals Means to Me”.  Her journal captures perfectly, the bridge that GlamourGals has created to mend an intergenerational gap. It reads:

“One of the most important people in my life is my grandmother, but because she lives so far away from me, I haven’t seen her in many years. I have come into terms with this, and one of the main reasons that I was able to do that is because of GlamourGals. While volunteering at a GlamourGals makeover, I feel for something more than just putting nail polish on the senior residents. The women that we communicate with at the nursing home each have unique stories, and being able to learn and spend time with them is truly something remarkable.

My favorite GlamourGals memory is my first makeover. I met with a woman and she was so excited when she saw me come into her room. She didn’t have the best arm, so I remember trying really hard to be as careful as I could be. She looked at me and a smile came to her face. I’ll always remember what she said to me. ‘All I do all day is read books. It’s nice to have someone to talk to’. I replied, ‘It’s nice to have someone to listen to’. Throughout the whole makeover she kept saying how beautiful I was. When it was almost my time for me to leave, I told her that she is one of the most beautiful and amazing people that I have ever met.Even though all she said was thank you, I could see that that was the nicest thing that she had heard in a long time. Along with making me smile, this visit was also very sad for me.

She began talking about her family. Her kids both live far away and on the day of my visit she was waiting and hoping for a visit from her daughter. She said,  ’She usually comes today, but I know she’s busy- I hope she surprises me’. Before leaving that day I remember wishing that her dream came true. She went on to say that her husband was also in this nursing home with her, but he passed away. I could see the sadness and loneliness in her eyes. I assured her that he’s still with her and gave her a hug.  When I think about Glamour Gals the moment that I hugged her always stands out in my head. It was at that moment that I believe the generation gap was filled. Aside from our differences, backgrounds, and lives at that moment I was there for her.”

-Vashti, GG Volunteer, Thomas Edison HS Chapter

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