Michelle Orr Announces Retirement |
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Michelle Orr has been our rock at My Sister's Closet, our women's upscale resale boutique and a major source of our funding for Bloom. She began working at MSC in 2009, but had been volunteering on an as needed basis before that. She will be leaving us at the end of September when she plans to spend more time with her family and traveling with her husband. Luckily for us, she plans to volunteer at MSC in the future and she will continue volunteering at her church.
"Michelle has been an extraordinary and loyal employee, dedicated to the mission of Bloom for many years. She is a faithful servant of the Lord and has been a blessing beyond measure to our organization. All of the employees and volunteers with whom she had interaction hold her in the highest regard. She will be truly missed. The Board of Bloom wishes Michelle the very best as she enters the next season of her life," said Maureen O'Meara, co-Chair of the Board.
Carol Andersen, CEO of Bloom added, "The success of My Sister's Closet as a funding source providing sanctuary to survivors of trafficking is in large part due to the faithfulness, enthusiasm and organizing skills of Michelle. From her early beginnings as a volunteer to her current role as Vice President of My Sister's Closet, she has led a team of sales associates and volunteers to create a beautiful and successful resale and gift boutique. While we are sad to say good-bye, Michelle's retirement is well earned and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors."
When asked what she loved most about her job, she said it was hard to narrow down, "It's a lot of work, but I love when it's time to change the store around to get ready for the next season...the passion I have organizing things comes out in me. Also, I've always had an open door policy, so I've always loved getting to know our customers, volunteers and staff better. It's truly like a second family here and I will miss everyone terribly, but I'm looking forward to this next adventure. Finally, I love working with the new participants that we get in our homes. The joy and appreciation on their faces when they are picking out their outfits, there are no words...just pure joy to watch."
We wish Michelle the best of luck in her next stage of life!
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Job Opening: Manager, My Sister's Closet |
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The Manager of MSC provides overall direction and guidance to the operational activities with the objective of maximizing growth and profitability as well as day-to-day leadership and management. This is a part-time/hourly position, 25 hours a week reporting to the CEO of Bloom. |
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$125 PER TEAM - single elimination with 4 round qualifiers
$35 FOR SPECTATORS
LIVE MUSIC - FOOD FOR CASH PURCHASE / COMPLIMENTARY DRINKS
TROPHY & BRAGGING RIGHTS FOR WINNING TEAM
Sponsorships Available!
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Maureen "Moe" O'Meara, Co-Chair of the Bloom Board of Directors, was first introduced to Bloom, then Truth For Women, five years ago when she was working with HMK Insurance. “One of my responsibilities was to recommend a community project for our employees’ engagement. I looked over our list of insurance customers and read about Truth For Women. The name intrigued me so I inquired, met Director Kim Checkeye, and was immediately moved by the mission and the need. All 50 of our employees endorsed the six projects Kim proposed (Kim was hoping we would select one, but we went for all six!). Projects included a food drive for Truth Home (now known as the “Heather House”); clothing drive for My Sister’s Closet, detailing the van; landscaping the property at the Home; some interior decorating and renovation of the basement (the latter was a $6,000 contribution), and all totaled over 500 volunteer hours.
Shortly after completion of the projects, Kim asked Maureen to consider a Board position, which she accepted in 2017.
“I am currently serving as Co-Chair of the Board through 2021. It was an honor and a challenge to serve in a leadership role during Covid. The silver lining was serving on the Task Force that explored our eventual merger with Bloom.”
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Your gift of $150 provides a survivor of sex trafficking with a night in our emergency stabilization home where she can rest, experience safety and address medical and mental health issues while exploring options for the next chapter of her life. The goal is for a woman to spend up to 90 days at our home where she can stabilize her emotional and physical well-being in order to find a longer-term healing program. |
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HAPPENING AROUND BLOOM... |
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August 16-21
Summer Sale 25% off all dotted items
August 23-28
Summer Sale 50% off all dotted items
August 30-September 4
Final Summer Sale $2 all dotted items
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August 13
Now accepting fall/winter items
August 16
No longer collecting spring/summer donations
Fall items arrive August 30
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On August 6, the studio was filled with good vibes, laughter, encouragement and accomplishment, as the Lehigh Valley Parent Support Group gathered "in-person" for the first time in many months.
Their desire for the evening was to create a sign of HOPE that they could hang in their homes and look to for daily encouragement.
Each individual provided a saying and a Bloom resident created beautiful stencils that they would use for their signs.
Bloom was truly blessed that evening by an amazing group of people who genuinely care about their mission and the mission of Bloom.
One Bloom resident spoke about the Bloom mission, her hope for herself by being in this program and she also instructed the class.
Another resident shared how grateful she is for the Bloom program and her hope to change her life around. She also assisted and encouraged the evening participants as they created. The two women did a fabulous job!
A wonderful experience for all!
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As we welcome new survivors into our homes on a regular basis and are in constant need of restocking essential items for them, we have created an Amazon Wish List. The online list makes it easy for you to pick out items that our survivors need while staying in our homes and have them sent directly to Bloom. All donations are greatly appreciated. We ask that when you make a donation to please include your name in a gift message so that we can properly thank you for your donations. |
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Do you frequently shop on Amazon? Why not make a difference with each of your purchases? Simply choose "Truth For Women" (we are working to update this to Bloom) as your organization of choice on Amazon Smile and a portion of all purchases will be donated to Bloom. |
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Bloom is a non-profit organization with the mission of providing sanctuary and a continuum of care to heal, empower and employ women survivors of sex trafficking. As part of its mission, Bloom operates a 24-hour care emergency stabilization home, a two-year residential program, and an independent living transitional home in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. In addition, the Bloom Creative Studio, located in Bangor, Pa., is a social enterprise to leverage art as a healing tool and provide employment opportunities for survivors. Bloom also has a women’s upscale, resale boutique, My Sister’s Closet, based in Bethlehem, Pa., provides financial support for the organization.
Bloom
3400 Bath Pike, Suite 103
Bethlehem, PA 18017
610-866-5755
info@bloomforwomen.org
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