Sevenly donated $18,844 to Angel Faces, an organization that gives aid to young girls who have suffered from burn/trauma injuries. The money was donated primarily to the Angel Faces programs and retreats. The organization was founded by Lesia Cartelli. She is the current CEO, well as an inspirational speaker. Cartelli created Angel Faces after suffering from a traumatic burn injury herself at the age of nine. She was at her grandparents’ house when a natural gas explosion occurred, destroying half of her face and body. Miraculously, she was able to survive such a horrific incident and eventually rise above her circumstances. Angel Faces was founded in 2003. According to the official website (http://www.angelfacesretreat.org/af/), Angel Faces is “a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide healing retreats and ongoing support for adolescent girls with burn/trauma injuries.” Their goal is to help these girls be the best they can possibly be, and they also help the girls “develop meaningful relationships for themselves, their families, and their communities.”
The charity places a focus on teen girls, ages 11 to 19. These girls can experience the healing benefits of Angel Faces by either going through the programs, which include the Angel Faces retreat and the Angels in Flight ongoing support. The programs are meant to encourage, inspire, and support teen girls living with these traumatic injuries. They come face-to-face with their deepest emotions and grief, gain a stronger self-esteem and confidence to help them move forward in their lives. The programs also teach the girls how to handle stares and/or teasing that comes as a result of their disfigurements in a loving manner. Healthy boundaries are developed and maintained in their daily lives.
The Angel Faces retreat is residential and lasts seven days. It is held once a year in Southern California. According to the Angel Faces website, the retreat consists of: skill building and practice sessions, emotional healing, corrective cosmetics, the importance of self care, mindfulness and physical strength, and friendships, balance, and play. This retreat allows the teen to begin the emotional healing process. The retreat continues to support her journey through life after the seven days are over.
Angel Faces is the only organization of its kind in the country and in the world. It is different from other burn camps because it addresses grief and trauma in addition to social and self-esteem problems. Their goals for the future are to reach a broader audience- possibly teen boys with burn/trauma injuries. They also want to get the surrounding communities more involved in their mission. Ultimately, they want to further spread their message about the “beauty and personal power within us and how we each can rise above our circumstances to create a meaningful life.”
For more information see the Angel Faces website:
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