January 16, 2014
The Mirror Mode Mentoring Program is featured in the Henrico Citizen.  We made the front page!


POSITIVE REFLECTIONS
written by Lane Burgess

In 2009,Aljanette Hall struggled like many Americans. She found herself out of a job after many years working in the real estate business. The time off afforded her the opportunity to live out her true passion - shaping young girls into successful women-to-be who know their value. “Going through the downside of the economy, I knew just how it was,” she says about feeling singled out and in need of information. She had been mentoring through her church on a volunteer basis, but saw the need to grow her outreach throughout greater Richmond. Her organization, Mirror Mode, Inc., strives to shape girls into young ladies by emphasizing attitude and image. “We give them resources about healthy relationships, diversity and self esteem,” she says.

Every Wednesday, a group of girls from all corners of greater Richmond come together for the Mirror Mode Mentoring Program, held throughout the school year for girls ages 8-10 (**edit 10-18). Hall wrote the curriculum,“B-ME: Being The Best Me Ever,” which covers etiquette, career, college, financial, planning, healthy relationships and hygiene. Volunteer mentors who are experts in their fields teach the lessons. In the past, a student from Virginia Commonwealth University visited to tell the girls about college life, and soon a professional from Comcast will teach the girls about career, following rules and guidelines and how to work with other people.

Girls come from Varina, Emporia, Chesterfield and Hopewell, among other places, to participate in the program. “We bring the young ladies out of their normal home locations to experience new things,” she says.“We have a strong group of young ladies who are willing to ask questions and communicate.They are really good girls.” Hall realized early that these needs aren’t simply true of girls who are labeled “at-risk.” “This is something all girls need, regardless of what community or neighborhood they come from. It’s just a part of growing up.”

Every year, Mirror Mode also focuses on high school-aged girls by offering the Belle of the Ball workshop that centers around prom season. Consultants offer lessons on etiquette, table seating, and even how to walk in heels. The weekend-long workshop teaches the girls lessons on more than prom by focusing on diversity, college planning, and the importance of physical education. During annual prom dress drives, the community donates dresses, accessories and jewelry along with giveaways for services such as hairdressing, restaurant gift cards and manicures. “This has been such an awesome experience for me to encourage them to live out their dreams and passions,” says Hall. An important aspect of the program is teaching the components of healthy relationships and how to avoid dating violence and rape.

The organization’s pre-teen program, Blossom, offers young girls a safe place to ask questions about their changing bodies, menstrual cycles, and hygiene. Each girl receives a “Blossom Bag” full of hygiene products donated by the community. Girls are encouraged to keep the bag in their lockers. “There are some parents who work tremendous amounts of hours, and some girls are missing this information,” she says. “And some girls are not comfortable communicating with their parents about this, and some parents aren’t comfortable talking about it.”

Hall also runs Choices, LLC., a mentoring and life coaching organization in different localities. She helps children in foster care or the court system to learn independent living skills or therapeutic skills. One girl in the program at a residential facility came to Hall with low self-esteem, broken glasses and weight gain. “She had gotten lost and felt like she didn’t have anyone,” says Hall. “We established a relationship.” Through the bond, Hall was able to pull out her talents and cope with past hurts. “Within a couple of weeks, everything started changing with her. Her appearance changed and she learned that it wasn’t about her body, and she doesn’t have to attract attention with tight clothing.” Now the student is mentoring other girls at the facility.

“I hope that they all become successful and independent, and that they mentor other young ladies and share their testimonies,” says Hall. “It’s tough for them to overcome certain things or be out in the public, and they need to learn that they are not their bodies. They aren’t here to please other people, but they have minds of their own and should respect themselves and their bodies.” * * * To learn more about Mirror Mode, Inc., visit www.mirrormode.org.

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