Yesterday at the Gramercy Terrace in New York, Moroccanoil co-founder Carmen Tal joined Bryce Dallas Howard, Veronica Beard co-founders Veronica M. Beard and Veronica S. Beard, and HALO founder Rebecca Welsh for a discussion about HALO. The panel was moderated by Jill Wagner who talked to the women about the importance of giving back and how the organization is helping children around the world. HALO believes every child deserves a family. So its helps homeless and at risk-youth with basic tools such as learning how to make a bed or exposure to the arts.
“I believe the young people, the youth are the future,” Tal told the packed crowd. “That’s who you have to take care of now to have a better world. I have young children and couldn’t have imagined them not having a mother or a a good meal or a bed to sleep [in.]”
(Caroline Fiss)
The organization came to the attention of Howard when she directed the Inspired By Women series for Moroccanoil. The short film featured Welsh and several of the children whose lives were impacted by HALO. “I had the opportunity to go down and film Rebecca and a lot of the people who were doing remarkable work with the HALO foundation. It was awesome,” Howard said. “We talked a little bit before about giving back and it’s a misnomer in a sense. It’s just about civic duty. We look around the world and we see the government and we see policies that are in place. We’re the grownups right now and this is our time on the planet. There are things that are just not working… [We must] find ways to show up as adults, be present and get involved.”
Marjai (Caroline Fiss)
The event’s most memorable guest was 19-year-old Marjai, a HALO beneficiary. She tearfully spoke about how things changed when HALO came into her life at 10-years-old, and helped turn an angry child into a “butterfly.” (Cue the tissues!) Now in college as a journalism major, she talked about how finding poetry was an awakening for her. “I taught two poetry workshops [for HALO.],” she said. “It was so life changing to see kids who were just like me in that situation, and I know it’s possible for them to come out of it. I’ve been there on the black side and I came out on the rainbow side.” The HALO effect.
Check out Howard’s video of Welsh and go to HaloWorldwide.org for more information.
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