Would you believe one of our JAM Moms was reading about TALIA LEMAN our youth philanthropist on the VIP page  when this proud mother realizes that  RandomKid  was  the same organization her daughter Cosette –  raised      $ 1400 dollars for. We wanted to share her letter with you as  it’s another reminder that jam kids are making the world a better place!

Hi Marlene!

I know that we’ve often talked about my girls accomplishments.  However, a couple of things were sparked in a recent JAM article.  Last Spring, in an attempt to discard 8 years of accumulated  “junk” out of our garage, my now 13 year old, Aitana  (a Wilhelmina model)  decided to put an end to not only a cluttered garage, but  to a cause which had constantly sparked her interest in her many trips to  Manhattan (she was faced by billboards at the LIRR station).  She wanted to make a difference.  She put together a garage sale/ lemonade  stand to raise money for “The Smile Train”.  A cause which for $250  you can pay for a cleft pallet  operation to give a child a smile. I would like to say that my beautiful, smart 13 year old is also a  humanitarian, however there was an alteriar motive.  She had also  calculated, as any self absorbed teenager would, that she would indeed  take the rest of the proceeds to fund her own cause, a new ipod!

On another note, my 9 year old, Cosette (a Wilhelmina Model) got involved in a cause of her own.  She became a “Random Kid” unbeknownst to me until the day that she was not only honored with an award but also featured in  several news articles.  I’m so proud of her raising $1600 for the  Cause by selling water bottles whose labels were actually designed by  “her”. She and her other 4 classmates (with the guidance of  Ms. Pinto)  raised enough to supply an African village with a water pump for  running water to be available in their village.  No ulterior motive!

Brings me to my 3rd and final daughter, Talia (also a Wilhelmina  Model). So far, idolizes her sister, Cosette At age 6, still too  early to pass judgment. But I have high hopes!  Yolanda Rinab aka mom

I want to thank all the parents and kids for attending the Open Call on Friday. I was outside in the pouring rain talking to the aspiring models while they were waiting to meet with my staff at the Wilhelmina Kids & Teens 2009 Annual Open Call.  We were talking about why they want to be a model and about the models life.  I talked to them about the Tween/Teen  Lifestyle Collection (TLC) and www.justaskmarlene.com – the book series/website all about empowerment and having your beauty shine from the inside out.  What’s special about them is they allow girls to feel included instead of executed whether or not they actually ever become a model.

I have been perched on my throne as President of Wilhelmina Kids & Teens for over a decade and I knew there was something meaningful in all that seems superficial.  For me, it was to use my voice of authority in the world of modeling to empower girls to be the best they can be and have their beauty shine through.  The road through adolescence can be a bumpy one but if one girl takes one idea from the www.justaskmarlene.com site and the books I am sure it will help them to champion the path and become a confident young adult – the world is changed forever.

XOXO

Marlene