LYNNWOOD – Four years ago, Vickie Wilson was shivering from drug withdrawal.
She’d been living on the streets for three months. Her teeth were gone, and her feet were so swollen that she couldn’t wedge them into lace-up shoes.
Yet Judy Hoff, pastor of Life Changes Ministry in Everett, believed Wilson was just right for a ride in a limousine, new clothes and a haircut from a high-priced stylist.
“The love people showed me was so amazing,” Wilson said.
It was a turning point for Wilson. From there, she was fitted for dentures and cleaned herself up. She started singing at her church. Her daughter, whom she’d lost to the state, is now back in her custody.
On Monday, Wilson, now 42, gave back.
She served as a queen’s assistant at the seventh annual Queen – It’s a New Day event at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Lynnwood, the same event that changed her life four years ago.
About 200 women, most of whom live in shelters for the homeless or for victims of domestic violence, descended from buses onto a red carpet. They were ushered into a banquet hall and served a meal fit for a wedding reception.
From there, they flocked to a giant closet stuffed with clothes donated from as far away as Olympia and Bellingham, said Hoff, founder and director of the event. Each woman chose three outfits, including undergarments, shoes and jewelry.
Then, their backs and necks were massaged. Fingernails were trimmed and painted. Eyebrows were plucked. Hair was sheared, layered and teased.
At the end of the day, each woman wore a tiara and preened in a fashion show.
Several hundred beauty and massage professionals gave up their days to volunteer, Hoff said. Crews from Gene Juarez and other salons eagerly coaxed the women into stylish cuts.
Each woman was escorted throughout the day by a volunteer “queen’s assistant.”
“I just feel overwhelmed, excited, tingling,” said Susie Taylor, 53, a resident of transitional housing at Life Changes Ministry.
Taylor closed her eyes as a makeup artist blended shimmering gray shadow onto her lids.
“A year ago, I was in addiction,” Taylor said. “I didn’t care where I was or what I was doing. Now, my self-esteem is being built up.”
Hoff and her daughter, Sarah Hoff, 22, dreamed up Queen – It’s a New Day seven years ago, while they were driving back from a day of shopping and hair appointments in Seattle.
“We were talking about how much better we feel when we have our hair done,” Sarah Hoff said. “Then we thought, ‘What about the women in the shelters?’ “
Some women at local homeless shelters haven’t had a haircut in 15 years, much less the attention of a top-rated stylist, she said.
Within months, the first Queen – It’s a New Day was held at a local church. This year, Life Changes Ministry will organize two events. The second is expected to take place this fall.
The event cost about $25,000, and much of the work and material was donated, Judy Hoff said. Life Changes Ministry pays about $10,000 out of its own funds.
“These volunteers came to do something special,” Judy Hoff said. “They came to give of their hearts.”
Reporter Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422 or kkapralos@heraldnet.com.
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