L'Oréal Paris announces 2014 Women of Worth honorees
NEW YORK — L'Oréal Paris on Tuesday announced its 2014 Women of Worth honorees, which recognizes women who are pursuing their passions to make a difference in the world. The women are lauded for their approaches in tackling such issues as drug addiction, homelessness, alleviating poverty for mothers and creating a safe space for young victims of human trafficking. The women range in age from 19 years to 62 years old.
L'Oréal Paris and its nonprofit partner Points of Light brought together a panel of judges — which included editors-in-cheief of women's lifestyle publications — to review the thousands of nominations that were submitted. The 10 who were selected will each receive $10,000 from L'Oréal Paris for her charitable cause or project, according to the company.
The 2014 Women of Worth honorees include:
Corinne Cannon – Washington, D.C.; Founder and Executive Director, DC Diaper Bank, a nonprofit organization which has distributed more than 1 million diapers to mothers in poverty to help reduce maternal stress, founded after Cannon's own experience as a new mother showed her that even with a strong network of support, stress can affect parents in many ways;
Stephanie Decker – Sellersburg, Ind.; Founder, The Stephanie Decker Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps children with prosthetics engage in sports and provides access to leading-edge prosthetics to those who need them, created after Decker lost both of her legs protecting her young children from the destructive forces of a tornado;
Shaaron Funderburk – Gastonia, N.C.; Founder, Off the Streets Program (OTSP) and OTSP Transitional House, a nonprofit organization providing a home and support for women recovering from drug addiction and homelessness, created following Funderburk's own recovery;
Mary K. Hoodhood – Grand Rapids, Mich.; Founder, Director, Kids' Food Basket, the largest childhood antihunger organization in Michigan, which helps underserved children. Despite being quadriplegic, Hoodhood was determined not to let her disability hold her back from helping others and has thus dedicated her time to giving back;
Rachel Jackson-Bramwell – St. Clair County, Ill.; Founder and Executive Director, Project Compassion and Compassionate Resources Center, a nonprofit that provides support for the St. Clair County and Greater St. Louis-areas' homeless and low-income women and children, often overlooked by government services;
Deborah Snyder – Alexandria, Va.; President and CEO, Operation Renewed Hope Foundation, a nonprofit that helps to eliminate homelessness among veterans, created after Snyder's retirement from the U.S. Army as a Lt. Colonel and helicopter pilot;
Phyllis Sudman – Plymouth Meeting, Pa.; Co-founder, Simon's Fund, which raises awareness of the warning signs and conditions that lead to sudden cardiac arrest and death in children, founded after Sudman tragically lost her 3-month-old son, Simon;
Brittany Wenger – Bradenton, Fla.; Duke University student and aspiring pediatric oncologist who invented Cloud4Cancer, a computer program that uses artificial intelligence and test results to diagnose breast cancer with 99% accuracy, driven by a young family member's battle with the disease;
Audra DiPadova Wilford – Santa Ana, Calif.; Founder, MaxLove Project, a nonprofit organization that empowers families fighting childhood cancers and life-threatening conditions with whole-body wellness resources, education and research, founded after Wilford's son Max was diagnosed with brain cancer at age fou.; and
Jenny Williamson – Granite Bay, Calif.; Founder and CEO, Courage Worldwide, an international nonprofit volunteer organization building homes for children rescued out of sex trafficking.
"Each year, we are moved and inspired by the thousands of powerful stories we receive through the Women of Worth nomination process. These women are wielding their passion to make an incredible impact on their communities, and beyond," said L'Oreal Paris President, Karen T. Fondu. "The 2014 Women of Worth honorees are heroic, fearless and true changemakers who deserve to be celebrated, and their stories elevated, to inspire more women to make a difference in the lives of others."