9 Foster Girls Walk into a Spa
Body and Soul Wellness Retreat is a day spa that focuses on holistic healing. For the past 26 years BNS has helped heal thousands of people and offered a safe place for disclosure, peace, and serenity. They offer acupuncture, full body massages, facials, yoga, manicures, pedicures, ect. During the winter season of 2020 Ina Lucchese, the owner, connected with nine foster girls, ranging from 11-17 years old, from a Fort Lauderdale foster care home and thought to coordinate a winter holiday party for them. In preparation for the party, the town’s locals generously donated what they could in a drive which included amazon echos, a tote bag, beauty products, self care products, journals, horderves, and snacks.
Most of these young girls have never seen any presents during the holidays while growing up. And though the self love gift bags were triumphant, we wanted the girls to know our love for them goes beyond materialistic things. Our main goal was to connect with this youth and help them find their purpose, inner and outer beauty, and passions in life. Anxiously waiting for the night to come, the girls arrived at Body and Soul Wellness Retreat and were all pampered with manicures and pedicures while enjoying some yummy, gooey, cheesy pizza and playing games afterward. You could see and feel the transformation of raised self esteems occurring right in front of our eyes.
Caring for your physical appearance and pampering are proven ways to boost your self esteem. Psychologists have recommended practicing steps of physical self care because it is indeed proven that when you look good, you feel great! Not only does it help one relax and ease the mind of stress, it allows one to take time for themselves and realize their inner and outer beauty which leads to a confidence boost, then higher self esteem, which then helps maintain a great mental health state. Topics of natural conversations included what their passions are and who they wish to be as they grow. One specifically loves the idea of marketing and graphic design. Another is very interested in the beauty industry. Now, it is our goal to continue to help these girls as mentors to have hands-on experience learning the different tactics of work and life so they can visualize the bright, thriving futures they have awaiting them.