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Tuesday Afternoon

(56,912 posts)
Sat Jul 26, 2014, 02:29 AM Jul 2014

"A Mighty Girl"



Veronika Scott was a fashion student at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit when her teacher, Stephen Schock, challenged her class to create a product that filled a need, rather than satisfying or creating a fad. Veronika's design was a coat for homeless people that could transform into a sleeping bag, since in her city, she says, “you are constantly faced with the homeless epidemic."

Not only did her design win a International Design Excellence Award from the Industrial Designers Society of America, it’s become the core of Veronika's nonprofit organization, The Empowerment Plan, which hires people from homeless shelters and transition homes to help her make the coats. Now, three years later, the 24-year-old social entrepreneur expects that her team of 15 seamstresses will produce over 6,000 coats in 2014 -- all of which will be distributed free of charge to people living on the streets.

Veronika originally designed the coats seeking input from people at a homeless shelter. After receiving feedback from people who used the prototype over a Detroit winter, she refined the design to create her final version which, in addition to being a waterproof and windproof coat and sleeping bag, also transforms into an over-the-shoulder bag with storage in the arm sockets.

When she started out, Veronika states, “Everybody told me that my business was going to fail -- not because of who I was giving my product to but because of who I was hiring. They said that these homeless women will never make more than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich -- you cannot rely on them for anything. And I know my ladies enjoy proving everybody wrong."

And, their impact is growing -- according to CNN, which recently honored Veronika as one of their 10 Visionary Women of 2014, "The Empowerment Plan expects to launch a 'buy one, give one' program that will make it sustainable beyond the donations and sponsorships that keep it running now. Hunters and backpackers who’ve asked to buy the coat will be able to do so, and the Empowerment Plan will still create coats for homeless people who need them."

Veronika is also excited to show other clothing producers that local manufacturing is possible: “I think we're going to show a lot of people: you think it's outdated to do manufacturing in your neighborhood, but I think it's something that we have to do in the future, where it's sustainable, where you invest in people, where they're not interchangeable parts.”

Kudos to this Veronika for her impressive ingenuity and compassionate spirit!

You can read more about Veronika's organization on CNN at http://cnn.it/OO0WGw or watch a short video about her work at http://tinyurl.com/qbe5oeq

To learn more about The Empowerment Plan or how you can support their work, visit http://www.empowermentplan.org/

For a wonderful book about women's great inventions throughout history, check out “Girls Think of Everything” for readers 8 to 13 at http://www.amightygirl.com/girls-think-of-everything

To show children how one act of kindness can bloom into something much greater, we recommend "Plant a Kiss" for ages 2 to 8 at http://www.amightygirl.com/plant-a-kiss

For more Mighty Girl stories for all ages that emphasize the value of compassion, visit our "Kindness / Compassion" section at http://www.amightygirl.com/books/personal-development/values?cat=223

For Mighty Girl stories about the challenge of being homeless, visit our "Homelessness" section at http://www.amightygirl.com/books/social-issues/homelessness

For those in the US who would like to support efforts to end homelessness and help the over 600,000 people who experience homelessness on any given night, visit the National Alliance to End Homelessness at http://www.naeh.org/ or to find a local homeless shelter to support in your area, visit http://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/
31 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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"A Mighty Girl" (Original Post) Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 OP
Great story! TreasonousBastard Jul 2014 #1
You got that right, TreasonousBastard !! Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #2
And speaking of mighty girls... TreasonousBastard Jul 2014 #3
Love the comments there. redqueen Jul 2014 #6
thanks for the info and the link, TB going to check it out now. Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #18
What a genius idea, both the product and the execution. Great! Squinch Jul 2014 #4
yes, really excellent work here! Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #17
Outstanding!! theHandpuppet Jul 2014 #5
yw, the Handpuppet Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #14
What a wonderful idea and how brilliant of her to have run with it the way she has. redqueen Jul 2014 #7
yes. I am glad I could post all those links. Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #15
"A Mighty Girl" is a wonderful website KatyaR Jul 2014 #8
Thanks and yes ... please check out that website for any and all young girls in your life Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #16
k&r n/t intaglio Jul 2014 #9
Fantastic young woman with a story we all should read. brer cat Jul 2014 #10
thank you for telling me that, brer cat - love the pooh bear and 100 acre wood. Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #12
Awesome! ismnotwasm Jul 2014 #11
sad truth. Spot on concept and execution, too. n/t Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #13
Thank you Veronika Scott ! sheshe2 Jul 2014 #19
Yay for girls !! Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #20
Kicking! nt sheshe2 Jul 2014 #21
Thanks, sheshe2 Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #22
Well then again! sheshe2 Jul 2014 #23
... lol ... Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #24
huge contrast, she is amazing, Tuesday Afternoon. sheshe2 Jul 2014 #25
it was a Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #26
I didn't see the results... sheshe2 Jul 2014 #29
you did not derail my thread. no need to apologize. Mighty Girls do grow up to be Mighty Women Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #30
If she sets up a storefront at Amazon or REI, just think of the projects it would fund! freshwest Jul 2014 #27
and wouldn't That be Wonderful !! Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #28
I live in a very cold old farm house. littlemissmartypants Jul 2014 #31

Tuesday Afternoon

(56,912 posts)
2. You got that right, TreasonousBastard !!
Sat Jul 26, 2014, 02:39 AM
Jul 2014

This Story and The Info and Links are So Awesome that I am tempted to Rec my Own Thread

TreasonousBastard

(43,049 posts)
3. And speaking of mighty girls...
Sat Jul 26, 2014, 03:28 AM
Jul 2014

I was fascinated when I heard the NPR story about 12 year old Lauren Arrington who did some good research about lionfish in Florida. Apparently a lot of people were and the thing went viral, until...

the whining started

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/40563/title/Dustup-Over-Lionfish-Science-Fair-Project/

This girl has awesome potential, and I really hope she isn't turned off by a little churlishness.

theHandpuppet

(19,964 posts)
5. Outstanding!!
Sat Jul 26, 2014, 07:17 AM
Jul 2014

Thanks so much for sharing this story and for the links to other "Mighty Girl" stories.

And here's to Veronika!

redqueen

(115,096 posts)
7. What a wonderful idea and how brilliant of her to have run with it the way she has.
Sat Jul 26, 2014, 09:24 AM
Jul 2014


A Mighty Girl is a great site

Tuesday Afternoon

(56,912 posts)
15. yes. I am glad I could post all those links.
Sat Jul 26, 2014, 11:33 AM
Jul 2014

Saw this on FB and Immediately copied and pasted and subscribed to follow the Mighty Girl page

KatyaR

(3,445 posts)
8. "A Mighty Girl" is a wonderful website
Sat Jul 26, 2014, 09:52 AM
Jul 2014

With empowering books, movies, toys and more for girls. If you have young girls in your life, you should check it out.

Tuesday Afternoon

(56,912 posts)
16. Thanks and yes ... please check out that website for any and all young girls in your life
Sat Jul 26, 2014, 11:34 AM
Jul 2014

thank you KatyaR

brer cat

(24,402 posts)
10. Fantastic young woman with a story we all should read.
Sat Jul 26, 2014, 10:49 AM
Jul 2014

The links are a wonderful resource.

Thank you, Tuesday Afternoon for sharing this! K&R

p.s. When I see your username I am reminded of the quote in Pooh: "You can't help respecting anybody who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn't spell it right." One of my favorites of Pooh wisdom.

sheshe2

(83,355 posts)
25. huge contrast, she is amazing, Tuesday Afternoon.
Sun Jul 27, 2014, 12:11 AM
Jul 2014

and seabeyond got another hide on one of those threads. It was a stupid hide.

sheshe2

(83,355 posts)
29. I didn't see the results...
Sun Jul 27, 2014, 01:01 AM
Jul 2014

Yet the "no comments" says it all. The ones that voted a hide were spineless haters and obviously had no way of explaining their vote to hide. So they hide behind their vote.

So sorry, Tuesday Afternoon. I don't mean to derail your thread, yet it shows what "mighty girls" can do when they grow up and become "mighty women"! And that is seabeyond. It is all of us.

Tuesday Afternoon

(56,912 posts)
30. you did not derail my thread. no need to apologize. Mighty Girls do grow up to be Mighty Women
Sun Jul 27, 2014, 01:06 AM
Jul 2014

and I am proud to call the Mighty Women on DU3 my friends.

seabeyond sent me the results via PM.

just like I sent her my results from my last hide where the anonymous Alerter said I am lying and five anonymous jurors agreed with him/her.

So, it is good to know that six people on DU3 think I am Liar.

Wish they had the courage to call me a liar to my face in open forum.

freshwest

(53,661 posts)
27. If she sets up a storefront at Amazon or REI, just think of the projects it would fund!
Sun Jul 27, 2014, 12:49 AM
Jul 2014
Eager to see that, this state has many hikers who would buy to help her cause, American manufacturing, women and workers with their purchases.

littlemissmartypants

(22,418 posts)
31. I live in a very cold old farm house.
Sun Jul 27, 2014, 01:17 AM
Jul 2014

Just what need!

Helping helps.

Thanks for the links.

Love, Peace and Shelter. Lmsp

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