A 30-year-old named Jessika Baldwin decided to skip out on a traditional bachelorette party, and instead use her special day as a moment to give back to her community. Instead of pampering herself and her best friends, she decided to create a day for the women of a local Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania homeless shelter.
Baldwin says of her motivation to offer a treat to others instead of herself:
“I was in a tough place in my life before ― I think we’ve all been there ― and I remember wishing for someone to just pick me up, take me out and just make me feel good. So, I really wanted to help lift the spirits of some women who are in a difficult life situation and treat them for the day.” [1]
The women in this particular shelter typically have no outside support from their family and are currently jobless and homeless, which Baldwin says made them extra deserving of a special day.
Baldwin and her friends created a full day of pampering for the women, with some salons donating their services. Baldwin and her friends and family picked up the tab for everything else.
The day included an amazing full day itinerary. It began with coffee at Starbucks, followed by haircuts at a local salon, manicures, lunch, a shopping spree, photoshoot and a nice dinner to finish off the day.
When asked what the best part of the day was, Baldwin answered, “My favorite part was seeing all the smiles on everyone’s faces throughout the day!”
Baldwin volunteers frequently, and thought that giving back a “lifestyle” would be the perfect way to donate her time and make her bachelorette party about something bigger than herself. She dubbed her friends and family the “Glam Squad” and says that they helped the women feel comfortable right off the bat. Baldwin states that simply laughing together can really have an impact on people, and this was definitely the case.
She will marry her fiance, Keefer, on September 10. The pair have been together for over 7 years, and she says she looks forward to living happily ever after with him.
Sources:
[1] Huffington Post
[2] Revelist