The best part about the holiday season is giving more than you receive and the warm, fuzzy feeling that you get afterwards.
Here at Beautylish, we have an annual tradition of spreading joy to those who need it most through our Get One, Give One Lucky Bags. Every year, we create a mystery gift teeming with a surprise combination of makeup and skincare from top brands.
We know that these beauty products aren’t always attainable, but the means for self-care should be accessible to all. So, when you pre-order a Get One, Give One Lucky Bag, you’ll get one Lucky Bag and we’ll donate the second one to an organization that serves the San Francisco Bay Area community and beyond.
This year, our 2024 Lucky Bags will be donated to The Women’s Building (TWB).
Standing tall as a historic landmark in San Francisco’s Mission District, TWB is adorned with the MaestraPeace Mural. The work of art is one of the city’s largest murals, symbolizing the changemaking contributions of women around the world.
Open the doors of the colorful building, and you’ll see Bay Area women’s strength, leadership, and courage in action.
“The Women’s Building serves as a concrete vehicle for organizing progressive social change that addresses women’s issues,” said Diane Santana, TWB’s Chief Development Officer. “[TWB] has represented and been guided by the belief that all women and girls have the right to safe, joyous, and creative lives.”
TWB has played a pivotal role in providing essential assistance for the 25,000 women and their families that come to the building each year.
“Our organization has long been a trusted community anchor that women rely upon,” describes Santanta. “Direct services and safety-net programs such as a food pantry or tax clinics are indispensable because of our low to no-barrier services.”
TWB is the first woman-owned and operated community center in the country. It’s exactly what the group of women founders had envisioned when they opened TWB in 1979.
The Women’s Building has also sponsored more than 170 women-run organizations to date, and the work continues—backed by bilingual and bicultural programs, staff, and volunteers. For example, TWB is a member of the San Francisco Latino Parity and Equity Coalition (SFLPEC), which includes outreach and community engagement for Census collaboration and voting participation.
“My journey with TWB started over six years ago, initially as a volunteer,” said Jessica Gutierrez, the Community Programs Director at TWB. “Being bicultural and bilingual myself, I felt a profound resonance with the mission and a strong desire to leverage my skills and cultural understanding to support the Latinx community in San Francisco.”
The organization’s family reunification program works closely with families of newly arrived immigrant children to ensure that they are enrolled in school and have access to educational/emotional support.
It is through these hands-on services that TWB advances the well-being of women, girls, and their families, helping them recognize their collective power and self-determination.
“Women get very minimal funding from all of the foundations in the nation, only 1.9% goes to women. And, if we talk about the BIPOC community, it’s even less than that,” expressed Santana. “We really need to start investing in women.”
Each year, TWB hosts its Spring health and wellness event: Thrive Together. Through the event, women are connected with tools and resources that facilitate healthier lifestyles. TWB plans to distribute our Beautylish Lucky Bag donation to event attendees.
“The recipients of the Beautylish Lucky Bags will be the clients that we serve, which the majority are low-income, immigrant Spanish-speaking women,” said Santana. “This event will have a special focus on unaccompanied immigrant minors sponsors/caregivers who have been reunified within the Bay Area.
The makeup and skincare products will be a welcome surprise for the recipients.
“The majority of our clients do not have the resources for makeup and skincare due to prioritizing basic and essential needs” says Santana. “Our clients will be overjoyed when they receive such a special gift!”
We’re thrilled that our Get One, Give One Lucky Bags will be an uplifting gift for The Women’s Building.
For more information about the organization, visit their website. Support TWB by becoming a volunteer and/or donate to help build a better future for women and families throughout the Bay Area.
