There are many issues facing homeless women veterans and one of them is self esteem. 

“G.I. Hope, a non profit organization  that provides social services for homeless women veterans in the Los Angeles area recently held their first fashion show in Los Alamitos on Nov. 7, 2010.  This was a partnership with Ann Reeder’s group “Women Veterans Esteem Program.”                                     

(L) to ® Sheryl Shaffer, AMVETS CA Dist. 4 Cmdr.,  Kenya Lawson, Executive Director of G.I. Hope and Ann Reeder, AMVETS CA Dist. 2 Cmdr.

This tribute to women veterans offered the opportunity for some of the homeless women veterans to express themselves by dressing up in beautiful clothes.   G.I. Hope and the Women Veterans Esteem Program offer positive environments where they can achieve their goals. 

All photos by Carolyn Erfe.

Since this was the first fashion show presented, we decided it would be a wonderful opportunity for us to interview homeless women veterans about what happened to them and how they are transitioning to a better future.  They tell their stories of struggle and how they are achieving their goals.  This episode “G.I. Hope interviews” is the result of working with Carolyn Erfe, combat photographer stationed at March ARB.  She has a friend, Brent Harvey, another combat photographer who is a veteran of the U.S.M.C.  and who worked with us to video tape this event. Mr. Harvey is a professional cinematographer and donated his talents so we could record these interviews.

In the first photo, Sheryl interviews Ann Reeder while Brent Harvey records the conversation and in the photo on the right, Sheryl interviews Jacqueline Cloud with Brent Harvey setting up camera.  This collaboration has resulted in a half hour episode titled "G.I. Hope" and is part of the “Veterans Helping Veterans” TV series. 

The Mayor of Los Alamitos Marilyn Poe ® reads a proclamation to the audience while Kenya Lawson (L) looks on.

A makeup artist applies makeup to one of the participants of the fashion show.

Other guests enjoyed the abundant food offerings 

The Pledge of Allegiance was sung to the audience and they responded by singing along.

The interviews with the women veterans reveal what their hopes and dreams are for their future. The “G.I. Hope interviews” is the 9^th program sponsored by the AMVETS CA Service Foundation. The “Veterans Helping Veterans” TV series online with blip.tv and pegmedia.org allows this series to be seen all over the United States.  You may see other episodes of the “VHV” TV series online by visiting www.vecsamnet.org.  If you wish to learn more about G.I. Hope, please go to their web site www.gihope.org.  We wish to thank AMVETS CA Service Foundation for their support of these programs to assist our women veterans to accomplish their goals of living productive lives.