Hello New Look Family,              

         Creeping along the streets in a white stretch limousine was the start of my 1^st morning in Washington, D.C. Supa, Couture, Dewey, and I rode in style with Shawn Wilson, the president of the New Look Foundation, and Tiffany Shipp, the publicist. The ride ended in front of Simon Elementary School, an inner city school that needed repairs and renovations to its library, computer lab, and hallway walls. Interestingly, President elect Obama ( at the time) called the nation to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a national day of service.

We joined the MTV/Service Nation Project that believed in inspiring the youth to do voluntary community service in America.  Indeed we headed down the hallways and viewed countless volunteers who stroked the walls with paint.  We entered a room with empty shelves and boxes full of books. We were given instruction to organize the books both alphabetically by authors last name and according to their category such as  fiction , non-fiction, biography and esc. Along with the hustle and bustle of the volunteers, the media captured the many moments in Simon Elementary such as MTV Productions, Harpo Productions, People Magazine, and many others. For example, Supa, Dewey, Couture and I participated in a live feed on Oprah’s show with other diligent volunteers.  Usher spoke about importance of giving back to the community. Usher was the spokesperson for the day’s community service in Simon Elementary School.

As I reflect, I am still overwhelmed by the heart-felt spirit at the ServiceNation Project. It was very poignant to bless others with my volunteer work in order to make sustainable change. The tedious day was valuable to not only to the youth who attended the school, but to the youth across America who needed an example of an efficient community service project.

We departed Simon Elementary School to head to a fabulous sight -seeing of the mall and the Washington Monument. We received great advice from Anne Marie Cruz, a fabulous writer for People Magazine. She shared her expertise with us. It was truly a blessing for her to take the time and give her words of wisdom. The limousine brought Supa, Dewey, Couture and I to the mall. Indeed we ran into the US military and I stated how proud they must be to protect our nation.  I enjoyed walking, chatting, and spending some downtime with Supa, Dewey, and Couture. I took fabulous pics of the Washinton Monument. We shared our feelings about the development and growth of the New Look Foundation. Personally, I started as a camper, became an Mogul in Training, and now walking proof that the New Look Foundation is a great investment for my life.  Thanks New Look!

PS. Stay Tuned for A New Look in DC 1/20/2009

Sincerely,

Chantia Robinson