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Winner of the Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund - January 29, 2008
Kimberlee Sica Honored with $5,000 Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund Award
January 29, 2008

Trenton, New Jersey Resident Wins Cash Award To Support Halfway House For Women In Recovery


(New York, NY, January 29, 2008) Trenton, New Jersey resident Kimberlee Sica, 49, is one step closer to fulfilling her dream of creating a better tomorrow for her community. Kimberlee was named this week's winner of the Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund, a weekly $5,000 cash award program from Avon Products, Inc. to support individuals in their work to empower women. Kimberlee will use her award to support the Magdalene Recovery House- a safe home that provides women with a nurturing environment while they obtain the skills needed for a successful, sober life.

Re-entering society and building a life in early sobriety post-incarceration has its own inherent challenges, often exacerbated by the stigma of criminal history, relapse and recidivism. While Trenton, NJ has a high incidence of crime, poverty and substance abuse, the vast majority of supportive and rehabilitative programs focus on helping men. When utilized properly, halfway houses can be extremely conducive to making important, positive life decisions and rebuilding productive lives. Due to the critical lack of safe houses for women in Trenton, many are unable to successfully overcome life challenges and often end up back in harmful situations.

Through her own journey in recovery, Kimberlee has experienced firsthand the lack of supportive environments for women in her hometown of Trenton, New Jersey. There was only one halfway house that served women in Trenton, and even this one was run by men. Kimberlee has seen many women caught in the cycle of crime and substance abuse, but she has also seen incredible change and growth take place when a person is fully committed to bettering themselves. This is what inspired Kimberlee's vision for the Magdalene Recovery House.

Despite limited resources, Kimberlee and her partner, Beth, opened the Magdalene Recovery House in January 2006 thanks to tremendous support from the community. The eight-bed residence provides a safe haven for recovering women and provides educational session to develop the skills to become contributing members of society. All potential residents go through an interview process to ensure their recovery is already underway. With only a minimal entrance fee, often waived under certain circumstances, the house is accessible to all women dedicated to sobriety. They are welcome, and encouraged, to stay up to two years, as long as they secure employment and continue to pass regular drug tests.

Thanks to her Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund award, Kimberlee will be able to support more women in her community who enter to the house from prison or treatment facilities without financial resources. Currently the Magdalene Recovery House can barely cover basic monthly expenses. Kimberlee will use her Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund award to help provide residents with much needed dental care, transportation and appropriate clothing for job interviews, and assistance purchasing food. Kimberlee also hopes to offer a small stipend to the volunteers who offer continued training and education programs on parenting, drug and alcohol awareness, and other life skills workshops, empowering women to make better choices on the path to becoming independent, useful members of society.

Kimberlee's winning application to the Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund fell under the category of "Community Service." Her proposal met the criteria to clearly present unique and achievable objectives to empower women or girls and ultimately improve society. It was selected from a pool of strong contenders by an expert panel of judges, including Suze Orman, America's most recognized expert on personal finance. "This sounds like a great way for women to ease their way back into society as more stable and productive individuals," noted Judge Cynthia Rowley of Kimberlee's proposal.

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