DOVER –– “Makeovers for Moms in Need,” a new event spearheaded by Michelle Anderson-Rogers, owner of Makeup Artistry by Michelle Elizabeth, will treat a group of mothers from The Shepherd Place in Dover to a glamorous morning on Saturday as an early Mother’s Day gift.

The Shepherd Place is a Dover shelter for women and their children established in 1920. Six of the shelter’s women will be participating Saturday.

“The women I chose mostly have young children so holidays like Mother’s Day can be particularly difficult for them and one of the women I chose due to illness,” said Michelle Allen of The Shepherd Place. “There’s definitely some excitement here for the event.”

The lucky moms will be given a professional makeup session by Ms. Anderson at her church, First Baptist in Dover. Ms. Anderson-Rogers has volunteered with the church regularly to supply families with food from its pantry and assist at the Interfaith Mission for Housing.

“I have always loved giving back and helping those that are less fortunate. For some time now I wanted to find a way to use my gift of

Michelle Anderson-Rogers, owner of Makeup Artistry by Michelle Elizabeth, is heading up an event Saturday to help moms feel special on Mother’s Day. The women are residents of The Shepherd Place and will be treated to a professional photo session including hair styling and makeup application. Ms. Anderson-Rogers hopes “Makeovers for Moms in Need” will turn into an annual tradition. (Submitted photo)[/caption]

makeup artistry and felt like providing this service for homeless women was a good place to start,” Ms. Anderson-Rogers said.

Ms. Anderson-Rogers, a mother of two, started her business six years ago and primarily does makeup for formal events like weddings and proms but this Saturday will be unique because these special ladies wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to get a professional makeover.

And the event isn’t only about getting fancy, it’s about self esteem too.

“For women dealing with the daily struggles of motherhood, the added stress of job hunting, searching for a home, and in some cases batting addiction or traumatic experiences of violence, I can only imagine the despair these moms must feel on a regular basis,” Ms. Anderson-Rogers said. “I hope this event will lift their spirits and boost their confidence. I want the women to know that they are beautiful and not forgotten.”

But Ms. Anderson-Rogers isn’t in the project alone –– she was able to get her church, First Baptist Church in Dover, Styles by Vashti and BTN Photography on board too.

Styles by Vashti will style the moms’ hair and Terrance Neal of BTN will photograph the women in their final look.

“The ultimate goal with an event like this is to provide a different type of contribution other than clothes or food; while those are necessary and very noble causes, this Mother’s Day, I am hoping to deliver something that will allow these moms to feel like the women that I know that they can be,” Ms. Anderson-Rogers said. “It is my hope that this will be a day of empowerment, pampering and just something completely different than the day-to-day stressors of life that they are used to.”

The moms will be greeted at First Baptist with bouquets of flowers and a nice breakfast before getting to the actual makeovers.

At the end of the day, the moms will be given gift baskets that contain items like Victoria’s Secret lotion and body wash, chocolates, gourmet cookies, lip balm, perfume samples and other items that will make their Mother’s Day extra special.

“I hope that this Mother’s Day gift will be a blessing to these women’s lives and ultimately that of their children,” Ms. Anderson-Rogers said.

There’s still time left to donate to “Makeovers for Moms in Need” to make Saturday extra special. Donations can be made online at gofundme.com/28nmkz3g.