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Winner of the Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund - July 8, 2008
Denise Minyard Honored with $5,000 Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund Award
July 8, 2008

New Castle, Delaware Resident Wins Cash Award To Provide Comfortable And Safe Housing For Homeless Women And Children


(New York, NY, July 8, 2008) New Castle, Delaware resident Denise Minyard, 42, is one step closer to fulfilling her dream of creating a better tomorrow for her community. Denise 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. She is the third Hello Tomorrow Fund recipient from Delaware and is among the first winners to be selected by a newly expanded panel of judges that now includes Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York and actress Phylicia Rashad in addition to the existing judging panel that includes Suze Orman, acclaimed personal finance expert. Denise will use her award to support the launch of Awakenings House, a transitional home for women and children fleeing violent living situations.

As homelessness continues to rise in Delaware, many women are left with no choice but to turn to emergency shelters in order to escape from dangerous, violent living situations. These shelters often lack the resources and nurturing environment vital for women to create self-sustaining lives. Homeless women often fall prey to domestic violence, unemployment and addiction because of their unstable lifestyle. Without the support and tools to build self-esteem, gain employment and secure permanent housing, these women will struggle to break out of the cycle of poverty. While emergency shelters serve a vital purpose, they often offer only temporary relief to more serious issues.

Denise has always had a passion for helping others and spent much of her time working with victims of domestic violence. After a great deal of experience at various shelters, Denise realized that there weren’t any specifically for women. This missing service in the community inspired Denise to acquire and refurbish a three-story house and turn it into a transitional home that she named Awakenings House. Denise has worked hard to create a warm and nurturing environment for the 10-bed residence. Awakenings House will take referrals and when the house is full, will work in cooperation with Connections, an entity of the Homeless Coalition of Delaware, to accommodate additional women and children.

Denise has a vision. She says, “I want women to shut the door, take a deep breath and say, ‘I’m home’.” Guests of Awakenings House are welcome to stay as long as they need in order to get on their feet and begin their new lives. While living at the house, women will attend courses on life skills, anger management, financial literacy and GED prep.

Denise will use her Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund award to launch Awakenings House and provide the much needed help to women and children in her community. Giving women a safe place to recover from their difficulties and the opportunity for a second chance at life is a vital and invaluable gift. The award money will allow Denise to purchase beds, linens and appliances for Awakenings House, as well as provide funds for transportation to and from job interviews and medical appointments. As women rebuild their lives and contribute to society they have an opportunity to break out of the dead-end cycles of poverty, homelessness and addiction and leave new legacies for their children. Thanks to her Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund award, Denise will give many women a second chance that otherwise may have never come their way.

Denise’s winning application to the Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund met the criteria of clearly presenting 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 personal finance expert, Suze Orman, actress Phylicia Rashad and Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York. “Women and children who suffer domestic abuse feel isolated and unworthy. Because of this, many never get out of terrible homes,” notes Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York. “This proposal offers women and their children a safe haven – which should be comfortable and functional.”

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