/PRNewswire/ - Women of Worth, now in its sixth year, is proud to announce its 10 honorees for 2011. Selected from over 2,100 nominations, these women fight tirelessly for a variety of worthy and relevant social and philanthropic causes, including everything from anti-bullying and female veterans' rights to teaching the importance of healthy nutrition and many more. This group embodies the spirit of volunteerism and inspires those around them with their persistence, passion and dedication to a brighter future.

RECOGNITION
Each of the incredible honorees has received $10,000 for her charitable cause and will be recognized at an awards ceremony and dinner hosted by Hearst Magazines and L'Oreal Paris on December 8th in New York City. At the event, one National Honoree, chosen via a public online vote, will be announced, and she will receive an additional $25,000 for her charity.

VOTING
Public online voting for the Women of Worth National Honoree is open from today (November 7th) through November 23rd on womenofworth.com. Visitors to the site will vote once per email address for their favorite Woman of Worth, and the honoree with the most votes will be named National Honoree.

HONOREES
This year's amazing honorees represent a wide range of social causes and commitments. The women behind these organizations are living proof that one person can make a difference: 

• Ann Solorio Brownell – San Jose, CA; Founder of The Amanda Network, an organization dedicated to combating bullying and preventing the tragic suicide attempts of bullied victims.
• Cora White – Madison, WI; CEO, Board President and proud foster parent for the Foster Care Children and Family Fund, which provides a variety of services to support children in foster and out-of-home placement, including everything from educational training for foster parents to ensuring each child receives a gift during the holidays.
• Dr. Barbara Summey Marshall – Fayetteville, NC; Volunteer CEO at Steps & Stages: Women Veterans Resource Agency, Inc., a global non-profit agency dedicated to connecting transitioning female veterans and their families with necessary services and support.
• Gina Keatley – New York, NY; CEO and Director of Nutrition at Nourishing NYC/USA, a community food program that strives to provide "nutrition for all" in New York City and throughout America.
• Gretchen Holt Witt – Califon, NJ; Founder of Cookies for Kids' Cancer, a non-profit committed to raising funds to support research for new and improved therapies for pediatric cancer, the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 18 in the United States.
• Pilar Pinel – Long Beach, CA; Founder of Embracing Latina Leadership Alliances (ELLAS), an organization dedicated to the educational, professional and political advancement of Latina youth.
• Shanta Barton Stubbs – Orlando, FL; Founder of the New Image Youth Center, an educational and recreational safe haven for at-risk youth.
• Sheila Warnock – New York, NY; Co-author of Share The Care and Founder and President of ShareTheCaregiving, Inc., an organization that empowers people to pool their efforts in caregiving for family and friends. This model eases the burden on individual caregivers and ultimately improves the quality of life for the seriously ill, disabled and aging.
• Stephanie M. Clark – Atlanta, GA; Founder and National Director for Project Single Moms Worldwide, Inc., a national advocacy and empowerment movement for single moms.
• Susan Munsey – San Diego, CA; CEO, Executive Director and "House Mom" of Generate Hope, an organization that provides a long-term recovery program for young women who have been sexually exploited.

JUDGES
The Women of Worth honorees were chosen by an elite group of judges including: Marc Speichert, Chief Marketing Officer of L'Oreal USA; Karen Fondu, President of L'Oreal Paris; Nathalie Kristo, Senior Vice President of Marketing for L'Oreal Paris; Jacqueline Hernandez, Chief Operating Officer of Telemundo Communications Group; Soledad O'Brien, CNN Anchor and Lisa Oz, President of Ozworks, a media and investment consulting company.

WOMEN OF WORTH PROGRAM
The Women of Worth initiative, now in its sixth year, is inspired by L'Oreal Paris' iconic brand philosophy, "Because You're Worth It." Each of these honorees truly embodies the spirit of the L'Oreal Paris brand through their commitment to their communities, their selflessness and their drive to make a difference in the world.  Since its inception, the L'Oreal Paris Women of Worth program has recognized 60 women for their outstanding commitment to their causes.

"L'Oreal Paris is proud that Women of Worth is setting the bar for honoring the significant contributions of real women," said L'Oreal Paris president Karen Fondu. "These inspirational women are making measurable differences on both a local and national level. We celebrate their accomplishments and welcome them to the Women of Worth family."

For more information about the Women of Worth Program, honoree bios and to vote for the 2011 Women of Worth National Honoree, please visit womenofworth.com.

ABOUT L'OREAL PARIS
The L'Oreal Paris division of L'Oreal USA, Inc. is a total beauty care company that combines the latest technology with the highest in quality for the ultimate in luxury beauty at mass. The L'Oreal Paris brand encompasses the four major beauty categories – hair color, hair care, skincare and cosmetics – and includes such well-known brands as Preference, Excellence, Feria and Healthy Look hair color; Elnett Satin Hairspray, EverPure, EverStrong, EverSleek, VIVE Pro, Studio Line and L'Oreal Kids hair care; Youth Code, Revitalift, Age Perfect, Sublime Bronze, Go 360 Clean  and Men's Expert skincare; and the Colour Riche, True Match, Infallible, True Match Naturale and Studio Secrets Professional cosmetics collections, along with a portfolio of mascara including Voluminous, Double Extend and Telescopic among many others.

For more information on L'Oreal Paris and its brands, and to get comprehensive, personalized beauty information from the experts, visit www.lorealparis.com for access to unique content and dynamic interactive features, including the exclusive "Can I Help You" diagnostic tool.

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A worldwide leader in the cosmetics industry, L'Oréal develops innovative products to meet the diverse needs of customers in 130 countries worldwide. Over 3,000 people work in the Group's 14 research centers, located in France, Asia and America. Their findings are responsible for the registration of hundreds of patents annually. Women represent 55% of the research workforce - a percentage unmatched anywhere else in the industry. www.loreal.com

 

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