Centenary College Alumna to Run Fundraiser at Her Alma Mater for Recent AOL Cause of the Day, "Enchanted Makeovers"

Hackettstown, N.J. – Ellen Baars-Banks, a Centenary College alumna and trustee, is proud to be part of a thriving nonprofit that was named the AOL Cause of the Day on Friday, July 13, 2012.  “Enchanted Makeovers” will have its first fundraiser the “She Is Me Event,” at 6:30 p.m. August 11, 2012, at the David and Carol Lackland Center at Centenary College.

Enchanted Makeovers is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization whose mission is to transform homeless shelters into places that inspire behavioral and psychological change and is a place that is supportive for those rebuilding their lives.  Today, homelessness is more common than ever.  A report by the National Center on Family Homelessness found that 1 in 45 children in the United States are homeless.  That means 1.6 million children are facing a life without a stable environment.  Since 2006, Enchanted Makeovers’ projects and programs have touched shelters in over 8 states that collectively serve more than 5,000 women and children each year. 

The effectiveness of the unique makeovers, projects and programs was recently featured on the U.S. Department’s Health and Human Services website, as well as being named the AOL Cause of the Day.  Enchanted Makeovers has been highlighted in national media outlets, such as First for Women, Women’s World, Ladies Home Journal, Better Homes & Gardens, Stitch, Country Almanac, Inc., Thread, Small Room Decorating and Smart Money/WSJ. 

Enchanted Makeovers also received national awards from People Magazine, Major League Baseball’s “All Stars Among Us,” with special video recognition from celebrity Sheryl Crow, and Martha Stewart’s “Dreamers into Doers” organization presented Enchanted Makeovers with a People’s Choice Award.  PBS and Oprah Winfrey have also aired segments about why this work is important.  For more information, visit www.enchantedmakeovers.org. 

Since January 2011, Baars-Banks has served as the Chief Operating Officer of Enchanted Makeovers.  She is responsible for strategic planning, compliance, board relations and growing the infrastructure to move the organization forward.  Prior to her involvement with Enchanted Makeovers, Baars-Banks spent 30 years in the health-care industry, retiring as the Director of Sales and Service for Aetna, Inc., serving the New York metro area.  She also founded her own company, Transformation Tees, offering a line of self-motivational T-shirts and accessories.

Baars-Banks graduated in 1993 from Centenary College with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.  She is a founding member and former chairperson of the Centenary College President’s Circle and a member of the College’s Capital Campaign Steering Committee.  In 2000, she was the recipient of the Van Winkle Achievement Award in acknowledgement of her accomplishments, including outstanding service to Centenary College and the community-at-large.  Baars-Banks is a member of the Centenary’s Cornelius Walsh Society, honoring those individuals who are recognized for their philanthropic leadership.
 
“I joined the Enchanted Makeovers mission because I learned long ago at Centenary College, it is important to serve our communities,” says Baars-Banks.  “The work I do at Enchanted Makeovers is so rewarding because I see every day how it gives everyone involved a voice and how it breaks down walls and unites communities.  I get to see first hand what Maya Angelou meant when she said, ‘I note the obvious differences between each sort and type, but we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.’”

Community service is an integral part of Centenary College and the institution’s longstanding commitment to developing future citizens through co-curricular initiatives.  In fact, Centenary College was the first college in New Jersey to mandate community service as a graduation requirement.  This year, Centenary College selected to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the number of community service hours students volunteer throughout the school year. 

For more information about purchasing a ticket, please visit www.sheismeevent.com. in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary College’s academic program integrates a solid liberal arts foundation with a strong career orientation. This mix is designed to provide an educational experience that prepares students to succeed in the increasingly global and interdependent world.

Centenary College’s main campus is located in Hackettstown, N.J., with its equestrian facility in Washington Township (Morris County).  The Centenary College School of Professional Studies offers degree programs in three locations: Hackettstown, Parsippany and Edison, and at corporate sites throughout New Jersey.  The School of International Programs recruits international students for study at Centenary and Centenary students for study abroad.
 
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