Female Military Veterans Get Day Of Glamour And Pampering At Hudson Yards As A Salute To Service
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It was a salute to female members of the U.S. military.
A cosmetics company teamed up with veterans groups to make them feel extra special, giving them spa services for their sacrifice, CBS2's Natalie Duddridge reported Thursday.
Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps were treated to primping and pampering -- makeup, hair and relaxation -- to thank them for their service.
"I feel beautiful and glamorous," Army veteran Cassie Watson said.
The women arrived at L'Oreal's headquarters in Hudson Yards to cheering crowds and waving flags. It marked the eighth year of the event called "Have a Beautiful Day," put on by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the cosmetic company that employs many service women.
"I haven't had a day to myself in a while," military spouse Michele Moore said. "This morning, I told my husband thank you. He's going to be deployed. He's leaving in February, so it's nice to have this time to myself now."
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Veronica Mammina just got back home after serving in the Navy for the last seven years. She had a chance to meet people and re-integrate back into civilian life.
"I've been making friends with a lot of other veterans going through the same thing," Mammina said.
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It was more than a beauty day. Organizers made sure the women knew about all of the services available to veterans and military spouses, including new job opportunities.
"Everything from sales roles, finance roles," said Cecilia Nelson-Hurt, L'Oreal USA's assistant vice president. "They can get a skill, so if their husbands or spouses are moving from state to state they can go along with them."
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Desiree Pabon, Miss Veteran America 2018, was homeless as a teenager. Now she's working to prevent that from happening to others.
"Unfortunately, it's a topic that's not discussed often and we get pushed to the back burner, so my job is to be a voice for those women," Pabon said.
Lindsay Stewart, a disabled member of the Army, founded a knitting program to help overcome anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
"It's not going to cure your depression, but it's going to give you a reason to wake up in the morning," Stewart said.
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These women will continue to support each other and be of service, but said it feels even better do it all glammed up.
And all of the stylists volunteered their time, using their skills to say thank you.