In July, BraveWorks celebrated Love Week with our friends and partners at Elevation Church. Elevation hosts Love Week each July to empower their campuses to create opportunities for volunteers to lift up and love on their local communities through service, generosity, and support.

At BraveWorks, we’ll never turn down an opportunity to shower our artisans with extra love and appreciation! BraveWorks staff and mentors joined Elevation volunteers, working together to create a Spa Day for the women we serve. Our ladies got the chance to indulge in facials, manicures, massages, and meditations. Typically, many of our artisans are busy fulfilling the role of wife and mother, assimilating (back) into society, and working with case managers to overcome deeply rooted trauma. Their schedules leave little time for them to implement self-love and self-care practices. This event allowed us to continue creating an uplifting space where women can recharge and experience an abundance of love.

Our Dilworth and East Charlotte artisans received calming massages of the shoulder and hands, glowed after their facial treatment, and their nails sparkled with new color. The day was filled with healing of the mind and body as well as reminding the women of the importance of “me time”. Trauma impacts personal confidence and self-esteem, and we see artisans oftentimes entering our program not feeling capable or worthy. Creating a sense of belonging and providing these services lifted our artisans up and their faces were lit with joy!

Elevation Church members also spent a day beautifying our facilities. They showed up on one of the hottest days of the summer and cleaned our front porch with smiles on their faces and love in their hearts. On top of that, Elevation Uptown invited us to their Sunday worship experience and presented our organization with a very generous check! The ripple impact of their generosity will be felt long beyond this year’s Love Week, and we cannot wait for next year.

BraveWorks is a safe haven and a place where our artisans seek the healing of both the mind and soul. Our artisans enter our program having overcome traumatic experiences, and the self-care time provided during Love Week helped them let go of negative thoughts and become attuned with their bodies. This aligns with our holistic approach which empowers our artisans to manage stress and support their overall well-being.

For Mental Health Awareness month earlier this year, we created a self-care calendar to fuel the mind and body. Many people have shared the calendar below with their coworkers and loved ones. We invite you use it as a gentle reminder to take time for self-care. Share it with coworkers, family, and friends to support emotional well-being in our communities. We hope you find it helpful! 

"When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel."

~ Eleanor Brown

Written by Beth Bell and Aliyah Bradley