Saturday, June 9th
Arrived in Wyoming!
Our day began being greeted by the lovely executive director of CASA Cheyenne, Wyoming, Betsy. Betsy and the CASA organization were absolutely fabulous! They arranged for the truck and trailer to be parked in Cheyenne's Depot (downtown square). Which was absolutely adorable!
Threads for Teens at the Cheyenne Depot.
The Wrangler located at the Cheyenne Depot.
The Iron Horse, in honor of railroad workers. Located in the Cheyenne Depot.
Betsy, CASA volunteers and staff members then proceeded to prepare an array of delicious fruit, snack food, and deserts which they set up below a neighboring canopy. Shoppers, family members, friends, and advocates were invited to enjoy the refreshments before, during and after appointments. Some of our favorite snacks were the mini cheesecakes, high heel cupcakes, cake pops, and seven layer dip (not pictured).
Mini cheesecakes!!
Absolutely delicious!!
Homemade cake pops. YUM!
Cake pops and high heel cupcakes!
High heel cupcakes! Thanks Laura.
Through the course of the day 23 girls visited the mobile boutique. All of which were enthusiastic, gracious, and eager to shop! Today we unpacked the Black Halo dresses- which, next to Miss Me jeans, were an absolute favorite among the girls. The girls today were outgoing and friendly, which made for a lot of fun and good laughs during the appointments. Along with the fun, today's appointments were very fulfilling. Multiple girls spoke up and articulated to Allyson and Natalie how their shopping experience was far more than an act of receiving clothing. As described by one girl in particular, "so often the clothing they (foster kids) receive is either hand me downs or from thrift stores, which really takes a toll on their self esteem." Already these children are seen as different by their peers and even teachers because they are foster kids, so the fact that most times they cannot keep up with designer labels or trends, as their peers do, further isolates them and makes them feel lesser. She proceeded to explain that, "though important, many times no one ever thinks about providing them with adequate clothing." It was extremely apparent through her words and demeanor that this shopping experience provided her with a new found confidence and self esteem. She certainly exemplified why we do what we do. Absolutely wonderful!
One of our shoppers modeling a Black Halo dress.
Our shopper loved this Black Halo dress so much she chose it as one of her items.
One of our shoppers modeling a Black Halo dress.
One of our shoppers modelling a Black Halo dress.
One of our shoppers modelling a Black Halo dress.
One of our shoppers modelling a Black Halo dress.
One of our shoppers modelling the Black Halo dress that she chose as one of her items!
One of our shoppers rockin' her new Miss Me jeans.
One of our shoppers modelling her new sparkly polka dot tank and Miss Me jeans.
During the middle of the day, Kyle from one of Cheyenne's news stations came out and interviewed Allyson and Natalie for a story about the tour.
Kyle interviewing Natalie.
Kyle interviewing Allyson.
And just when we thought our day couldn't get any better, CASA members Betsy, Carol and Kevin presented Allyson with a CASA bracelet and signed appreciation frame and then took us out to dinner! CASA had arranged for girls to sign a thank you note to Allyson following their shopping appointments, what the girls had to say was heartfelt and gracious. What a great idea CASA! We had a great time at Shadow's Pub and Grill located on the Cheyenne Depot. Great food. Great company. Great conversation. All in all a wonderful day. Thank you Cheyenne!!
Betsy, Allyson, Auntie Abbie, Carol, and Natalie.
The most delicious sweet potato fries and honey cinnamon butter. YUM.
Allyson and Natalie in the Cheyenne Depot.
Allyson and Natalie posing with Cheyenne's statue that honors women's role of settling the West. Not to mention Wyoming was the first state to grant women the right to vote, and elected the first female governor- GO WYOMING! Supporting female empowerment before it was cool.
And now we are off to Denver, Colorado!
A beautiful drive.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog post re: our day in Denver, Colorado.
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