The HALO Learning Center and Gould Evans Team Up for the Westport Art Faire!

HALO youth here in the Learning Center are getting very excited about having their artwork featured in this year's Westport Art Faire! In honor of their 40th year, Gould Evans of Kansas City has been teaming up with the Learning Center to provide fun and inspirational art workshops where HALO youth can create pieces to be displayed during the Faire. 

HALO youth's paintings, drawings, and other art pieces will be on display at Gould Evans 4041 Mill St. location. Gould Evans staff have also invited HALO's young artists to attend the opening of the art show on September 5th. 

HALO is so grateful to Gould Evans for giving our youth this amazing opportunity, and we can't wait for the Faire! Be sure to stop by Gould Evans (4041 Mill St., Kansas City, MO) Sept. 5th - 7th to see our youth's wonderful artwork, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KCHaloCenter ! And scroll on down to check out these great photos of the art in progress! 

"Independent Swag" Fashion Show 2014 Highlights!

The Kansas City HALO Learning Center's “Independent Swag 2014: Be YOUnique, BeYOUtiful, Be YOU”, fourth annual youth fashion show was a night of philanthropy, fashion, and fun, supporting homeless and at-risk youth from Kansas City residential centers. Here are some highlights from this year's event:

• 45 HALO youth participated in Fashion Creation workshops!
• 30 HALO youth walked the runway!
• 3 summer workshops helped with the Fashion Show - Sewing & Fashion Design taught by local fashion designer Whitney Manny, Cosmetology & Inner Beauty taught by Paul Mitchell the School of Overland Park, and Improv! 
• 40 upcycled outfits created from thrift store finds! 
• 45 tie-dyed BeYOUunique t-shirts created!
• 40 volunteers
• 150 attendees
• 17 sponsors
• Raised over $10,000 to support HALO Learning Center youth programs

Check out these great photos from the event, and to learn more about the HALO Learning Center - Kansas City, visit us at halokc.org or like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KCHaloCenter . Watch this quick video for more Fashion Show fun http://youtu.be/Srt1B0OPteI  !

Special thanks to our sponsors the Terrace on Grand, Hallmark Cards, The Connell Family, The Bicknell Family Foundation, The Krueger Family, Katie Van Luchene and This is KC, Lamar Advertising, Project Runway’s Season 8 contestant Valerie Mayen, Whitney Manney, Paul Mitchell the School, KC Bier Co., Clear 10 Vodka, Band Wagon Merch, Archer Foundation, Ambitious Pixels, and Scott Reynolds Photography! 

HALO Youth and Volunteers are Busy Prepping for the Fashion Show!

With the fourth annual Fashion Show THREE days away, HALO youth and volunteers are quite busy! Today, youth came to the Learning Center to tie dye shirts and upcycle clothes for the show.  Upcycling consists of finding an ordinary piece of clothing and revamping it into something fabulous.  For example, today, one youth glued pearl beads on a shirt to spell her name.  HALO youth and volunteers are having a BLAST. We cannot wait for the show this Friday! The show is from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at Terrace on Grand, 1520 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108.  To purchase tickets and learn more about the event, visit http://www.haloworldwide.org/events-2/kansas-city-youth-fashion-show-2014/.

Here are some awesome photos of today's workshop.  We can't wait to see you at the show!

Finishing touches on the sewing machine!

Putting elastic on her skirt. 

Tie dying!

The Fourth Annual HALO Fashion Show is Quickly Approaching!

All summer, HALO youth, volunteers, and staff have been preparing for the HALO Fashion Show on August Eighth.  With the show a little more than a week away, HALO has kicked it into high gear!  Workshops to get ready for the show are in full swing. The girls in sewing class just put the finishing touches on their outfits yesterday.  The girls in cosmetology class are putting together their full looks tomorrow.  HALO volunteers have been crafting one of a kind fans that each Fashion Show goer will receive with their ticket.  The learning center has been busy, but that has only made preparation more fun! 

The show is August eighth from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at Terrace on Grand, 1520 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108. To purchase tickets and learn more about the show, visit www.haloworldwide.org/events-2/kansas-city-youth-fashion-show-2014/ . 

Here are some great photos of Show preparation so far! There will be more photos to check out next week.  Be sure to like us on Facebook and visit www.haloworldwide.org to learn more about HALO!

Here is a HALO youth's plan for her look at the Fashion Show!

Do you want a  fan like these? Come to the show! 

A HALO youth doing an intricate up-do on a doll head.

Putting some of the finishing touches on her outfit!

Whitney Manney teaching the youth some sewing techniques.

Learning an up-do!

Teaching up-do methods!

HALO Helps Spofford Home Put on a Fashion Show!

For the majority of the summer, HALO volunteers have been helping the youth at Spofford Home get ready for the Fashion Show they put on last Wednesday. The first two weeks were spent tie dying t-shirts.  The youth got to decorate their own unique shirt that reflected their individuality.  The next two weeks were spent decorating a banner with hand prints.  Each dorm at Spofford got to work together to create a section of the banner.  When put together, the banner became a project created by all of Spofford! Last week was the Fashion Show! The youth were so excited to don their tie dye shirts and show off for the audience!  The youth also wore accessories they made.  The show promoted self confidence in the youth as they walked down the runway.  HALO could not be more proud of the kids at Spofford Home for putting on such a great show!

Check out these photos of the Spofford Home's fashion show activities!  Be sure to like us on Facebook too and visit www.haloworldwide.org for more information on the Fashion Show on August 8th!

The Spofford youth had a blast creating the banner. 

This youth is excited to be walking down the runway!

He wore cowboy boots for the show!

The runway before the show.

The runway in progress!

The youth loved walking through the streamers!