L'Oréal Paris Women Of Worth Celebrates 15th Anniversary & Announces Noelle Lambert Of Born To Run Foundation As National Honoree On Giving Tuesday

NEW YORK, Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of Giving Tuesday, L'Oréal Paris continues to celebrate and elevate the stories of extraordinary women who selflessly give back to their communities by announcing the Women of Worth National Honoree, Karen T. Fondu Impact Award Winner and the brand's first COVID-19 Hero. The announcements come in the wake of an hour-long, first-of-its-kind NBC special, now streaming on Peacock which aired on November 25 and celebrated the remarkable achievements of this year's Women of Worth Honorees. Rooted in the brand's iconic tagline, "Because You're Worth It," L'Oréal Paris' philanthropic program champions the intrinsic worth of women everywhere by spotlighting women nationwide who are making a positive difference in their communities.

Noelle Lambert was selected as the 2020 National Honoree following a nationwide, online public vote, receiving an additional $25,000 to support her mission of providing children and young adults with specialized prosthetics. The Karen T. Fondu Impact Award is presented to Charolette Tidwell and her organization, Antioch for Youth & Family, for demonstrating extraordinary success in the time since she was named a Women of Worth Honoree in 2017. Lastly, healthcare hero Patrycja Golak is recognized for her selfless efforts aiding patients and their families amid the COVID-19 pandemic in an award newly added this year to support the good in the world.

"2020 proved that it's more important than ever to support those who champion the underserved and give back to their communities. In a milestone year for our philanthropic program and an equally monumental year worldwide, the 2020 L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth are tackling a breadth of social causes that inspire worth in others," said Ali Goldstein, L'Oréal Paris USA President. "We are so proud to spotlight incredible female-led causes for everyone to support this Giving Tuesday and beyond."

National Women of Worth Honoree: Noelle Lambert, Born to Run Foundation, Manchester, NH

L'Oréal Paris is proud to announce that Noelle Lambert has been voted this year's National Honoree. After a moped accident left her an amputee four years ago, Lambert refused to take a defeatist attitude. Instead, she was able to secure a waterproof prosthesis that allowed her to continue playing on the Division I Women's Lacrosse team. Today, Lambert's Born to Run Foundation gives children and young adults specialized prostheses, easing their financial burden and building a community of peer support.

As of 2019, the foundation has donated ten specialized prostheses, ultimately leveling the playing field for amputees to pursue their athletic dreams and achieve lifetime goals. Despite the physical challenges she faced, Noelle believes that losing her leg may have been one of the best things to happen to her, as it has imbued her life with a new purpose to give back and leave a lasting impact.

Karen T. Fondu Impact Award Winner: Charolette Tidwell, Antioch for Youth & Family, Fort Smith, AK

L'Oréal Paris awards Charolette Tidwell with the Karen T. Fondu Impact Award for her tireless work in combating her hometown's hunger crisis. Emphasizing family nutrition, mentorship for at-risk youth and elderly care, Tidwell's organization provides resources to more than 25,000 people in need each month, with enough food to prepare more than 900,000 meals annually. Amid the COVID-19 health crisis, she pivoted to address community needs by partnering with local law enforcement in a positive way to combat domestic abuse when food insecurity was detected in the home. Since becoming a Women of Worth Honoree in 2017, Tidwell spearheaded the development of a community garden to source fresh produce and her coalition with local leaders focuses on the trauma and consequences caused by poverty and food insecurity. Her timely and important work continues to uplift her community and elevate the worth of those around her.

COVID-19 Hero Award: Patrycja Golak, Mask2Mask, New York, NY

L'Oréal Paris presents Patrycja Golak with the first-ever COVID-19 Hero Award to spotlight her fight on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. A social worker, Golak ensured the safe discharge of COVID-19 patients in her care, facilitated countless video sessions for families to bid goodbye to loved ones and provided a wellspring of emotional support for those who feel alone. She ideated creative solutions amid a seemingly hopeless situation, even co-founding non-profit Mask2Mask to give back to women in healthcare. To date, Mask2Mask has distributed beauty products to multiple hospitals across New York City, and raised enough money to purchase gift cards for additional self-care support for frontline workers. Golak's immeasurable impact upon her community is inspiring those around her and igniting a positive chain reaction that's growing to touch even more people.

The 2020 Women of Worth Honorees and their non-profits:

Charolette Tidwell, Patrycja Golak and Noelle Lambert are just three of the worthy women whose work L'Oréal Paris is highlighting this year. They join the ten inspirational 2020 Honorees announced in October, each of whom received $10,000 for their breadth of causes, which range from educating Latinx communities on the dangers of opioid prescription misuse, to providing immigrant communities with free healthcare and destigmatizing mental illness. This year's Honorees include:

• Cheryl Ann Wadlington – Philadelphia, PA; Founder and Executive Director, The Evoluer House: equips underserved and marginalized girls of color through college and career preparedness, teaching them to break poverty cycles and pursue their dreams.
• Marta Michelle Colon – New York, NY; Founder, Be Gutsy: uses education, the arts, and healthcare programs to create awareness of the prescription opioids epidemic and its impact on Latinx adolescents and young adults.
• Leah Juliett – Wolcott, CT; Founder & Executive Director, March Against Revenge Porn: eradicates image abuse through global grassroots organizing, national protest marches, media advocacy, victim support services, federal lobbying and direct legislative action.
• Danielle Boyer – Troy, MI; Founder & CEO, The STEAM Connection: creates diverse, accessible and affordable science, tech, engineering, art and math educational materials for indigenous populations and children of color, primarily through robotics.
• Stephanie Gattas – Boerne, TX; Founder & CEO, The Pink Berets: educates and provides aid to active duty women of the U.S. armed forces and first responders seeking assistance for PTSD, military sexual trauma and combat trauma stress.
• Noelle Lambert – Manchester, NH; Founder, The Born to Run Foundation: provides young amputees with specialized prosthetics that allow them to lead fulfilling lives and pursue their athletic dreams.
• Gulshan Harjee – Clarkston, GA; Co-founder & Chief Medical Officer, Clarkston Community Health Center: provides free, state-of-the-art medical care for those in need throughout metro-Atlanta, including immigrant, refugee, uninsured and underinsured groups.
• Lindsey Wimmer – Eden Prairie, MN; Executive Director, The Star Legacy Foundation: increases awareness, advocacy and research tied to stillbirth, as well as reducing pregnancy loss and providing care for families who experience such tragedies.
• Barbara Rhode – St. Petersburg, FL; Founder & President of Board of Directors, Red Tent Women's Initiative: is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, working with women incarcerated in the Pinellas County Jail to implement positive coping skills and resolve trauma, addiction and socioeconomic disadvantage.
• Diana Chao – Claremont, CA; Founder & Executive Director, Letters to Strangers: destigmatizes mental illness and increases access to affordable, quality mental healthcare through therapy-informed anonymous letter exchanges, science-driven peer education and grassroots policy-based advocacy.

Celebrate Giving Tuesday by visiting www.WomenofWorth.com to read all the Women of Worth  Honorees' stories and learn how to support their causes. For more information, visit L'Oréal Paris on Facebook and Twitter. 

About L'Oréal Paris:
The L'Oréal Paris division of L'Oréal USA, Inc. is a total beauty care brand dedicated to empowering women by offering luxurious and innovative products and services available in the mass market. The brand's signature tagline, "Because I'm Worth It," was born in the United States in 1973 to celebrate the beauty and intrinsic self-worth of women. And for more than 100 years, L'Oréal Paris has been providing women around the world with hair color products, and now products in three additional major beauty categories: haircare, skincare and cosmetics. With L'Oréal's invention of hair color in 1909, the brand continues to serve as a leading innovator of hair products across color, care, and styling with brands such as Superior Preference, Excellence, Féria, Colorista, Elvive, the Ever Collection, and Elnett Satin Hairspray. L'Oréal Paris provides scientifically-advanced skincare products that are tested to address individual skin concerns through its renowned brands Revitalift, Revitalift Derm Intensives created by L'Oréal Paris labs and validated by dermatologists, Age Perfect, and Sublime Bronze. L'Oréal Paris' iconic cosmetics include best-seller Voluminous Lash Paradise, as well as the Infallible, True Match, Colour Riche, Voluminous, and Age Perfect Cosmetics. For more information about L'Oréal Paris and to receive personalized advice, expert tips, and exclusive content, please visit www.lorealparisusa.com or follow on Instagram (@LorealParis), Twitter (@LOrealParisUSA), Facebook (@LOrealParisUSA), and Pinterest (@LOrealParisUSA).

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