ORLANDO, Fla. — A local effort is working to support survivors of domestic violence by sending care packages centered on a simple item: lipstick.
“I envision what this lipstick will mean to a woman, and that drives me to help more and more domestic violence victims,” said Sheryl Kurland.
Kurland, president and founder of Find Your Fabulosity, said the mission began after she handed out lipsticks at a domestic violence shelter and saw the reaction from women there. “They just completely transformed,” Kurland said. “It was like I opened the window… they started conversing like women do, nothing about their abuse. I was completely shocked.”
In the 10 years since, Kurland said Find Your Fabulosity has sent out more than 120,000 lipsticks. Volunteers often gather at her Seminole County home to assemble packages that are sent to domestic violence victims across the United States. The packages include lipstick, encouragement cards, small trinkets and a letter from a survivor. “What grounds me is giving love to other people,” Kurland said. As Domestic Violence Awareness Month comes to a close, advocates like Kurland are pointing to the scope of the issue. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, one in four women in the U.S. will experience physical violence in their lifetimes.
One of those women is Vicky Morales, a Find Your Fabulosity volunteer.
Morales penned the survivor letter included in the packages. She said it begins, “I hear you. I see you. I know you are going to be OK. Because I’m here, I made it through. And let me tell you how I overcame.” Morales said she spent eight years in an abusive situation before leaving, drawing strength from her four children. “It got so bad to where we were evicted from an apartment. And we had nowhere to go,” Morales said. “He had left and started doing drugs. Didn’t know where he was. I had a 2-month-old son. We had a newborn … he took me and threw me on the floor. And I had Lego prints on my back. I found out after going to the hospital.”
Now, Morales helps pack the care packages in hopes that recipients feel supported by people they may never meet. “These women are helping people who need support,” Morales said, continuing, “Even support from a total stranger is great.” Morales said that the lipstick can offer a small but meaningful reminder for women experiencing abuse. “When you’re in this type of environment of abuse, you don’t feel beautiful,” Morales said. “And a simple lipstick can make a big difference for you.”