WHAT THEY NEED
The group uses a lot of nail polish. In some instances —at a children’s hospital or Ronald McDonald House, for example—they are required to use a fresh bottle for every child.
—Nail Polish -clear and colored
—Nail polish remover
—Cotton Balls
—Glitter
-Nail art stickers and supplies
—Paper towels
—Tablecloths (new and gently used)
—Aprons
Items can be delivered to United Rehabilitation Services at 4710 Old Troy Pike, Dayton. between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. They can also be mailed : ATTN: Polished Girlz, P.O .Box 60293, Dayton, Ohio 45406.
Girls between the ages of 10 and 21 who want to volunteer for the organization can call (937) 559-9605 or check out
polished girlz.org. Adult team leaders are also welcome.
At tonight’s Dayton Dragons game, 12-year-old Alanna Wall will be honored as a “Community All-Star.”
We’ve featured Alanna in this column in the past — she’s the young lady who age at age 8 founded “Polished Girlz,” the non-profit organization that trains young volunteers to teach the importance of hand washing to hospitalized kids and those with special needs while giving them manicures.
Alanna is now 12 and a Stivers Middle School seventh grader. Her organization has blossomed and now has close to 100 volunteers in Ohio, Illinois, and Rhode Island. The program will soon be introduced to New York and California as well.
Alanna has said she enjoys what she does because she “loves to see the girls when I finish polishing their nails, and how they want to show everybody their nail art. I feel proud to know that I am making a differance by helping others.”
She and her volunteers use nail stickers and glitter and paint everything from balloons and flowers to ladybugs.
Alanna’s mom, Valerie Ragland, is executive director of the organization and has worked with her daughter on the project since its inception. She estimates they’ve gone through $8,000-$10,000 worth of polish and have served close to 600 kids.
The success of the venture, Valerie believes, is the peer-to-peer support. “It’s kids helping other kids,” she says. “The goal is to keep these kids from getting sick so we use the nail polish as a constant reminder to wash their hands.”
Some organizations are regular clients — like the youngsters in Mended Little Hearts, the program that serves children who have had heart problems.
“One of the little girls we polished the last time we went had just had open heart surgery,” Valerie says. “We go every other month to their support group and while the parents are meeting, we polish the kids.” They’ve been visiting the Downs Syndrome Association for the past two years.
Diane Osman of United Rehabilitation Services believes the volunteers make a real difference in the lives of her clients.
“For the ladies at our facility, it is a wonderful treat to have a group of girls come in once a month and socialize with them and make them feel special and pretty,” she has said. “Our clients look forward to their visit, and will often coordinate their outfits to their nail polish colors.”
The manicures are a special treat for children in the hospital, says Valerie, because it helps take their minds off their illnesses and allows them to be little girls again.
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