One of the most recognizable ad campaigns in the world is based on cosmetic giant L’Oreal’s “Because You’re Worth It” tagline, which for the last four decades, has told girls and women of all ages to recognize and rejoice in their beauty and value.
Eight years ago L’Oreal Paris launched something called “Women of Worth” to celebrate women making a difference in the world. Out of the thousands nominated every year, 10 dedicated, passionate, and very special women are selected to receive a $10,000 donation for their cause.
Tricia Baker of Plainsboro was one of those 10 women honored by L’Oreal. There were 3,500 nominees this year, the most ever. Tricia was recognized for her work to fight the stigma surrounding mental illness and to educate young people about depression and preventing suicide.
This explains why a big white limo pulled up in front of my house this week. There was a bottle of champagne to celebrate Tricia’s nomination and a nice cheese and crackers spread. I slid into heels and a black dress for what was, on the face of it, an exciting girls night out at the swanky Pierre Hotel in New York City. But it was for a serious cause. Nine of us who have helped support the Baker family in the four-and-a-half years since 19-year-old Kenny committed suicide were invited to attend the awards ceremony.
Among those in our group: mental health professionals, people who have had to deal with mental health issues themselves or with a loved one, friends, and Katelyn, Kenny’s younger sister, who coined the phrase for the non-profit established by the family in the wake of Kenny’s death: A.I.R. — Attitudes in Reverse, which is based on the idea that attitudes about mental illness need to change. We joined Tricia, Kurt, and Miki, ambassador for A.I.R.’s Paws for Minds program, in New York.
Tricia was in illustrious company. The nine other honorees are doing what can only be described as God’s work: rescuing neglected and abused children in the foster care system, establishing a camp for homeless youth, helping the terminally ill fulfill their final wishes, taking technology and computer skills into inner cities where children don’t have those kinds of resources.
There was a first-grade teacher from Sandy Hook Elementary School who survived the massacre there almost a year ago and has established a program for kids to help other kids learn about compassion and empathy. There was a survivor of domestic violence in her childhood home who launched an organization to rescue other victims of domestic violence; a mother who lost her toddler to cancer who helps families navigate the medical system and bureaucracy so they don’t have to choose between going to work and being at the hospital; a long-time volunteer who established a non-profit restaurant to give at-risk youth a job and hands-on training, and a survivor of childhood sexual abuse who educates children to prevent the same thing from happening to them.
Each one of these women is a bright shining light in her community who is quietly rolling up her sleeves and working hard every single day, driven by a vision and the desire to make life better for the voiceless or those who need help in some way.
It is so easy to be awed by these women and their remarkable achievements, which is why the awards committee selected presenters of note in their own right. Lea Michele, star of “Glee,” spoke about her admiration for these women and their strength in the face of adversity and the unexpected — an allusion to the recent death of her co-star and real-life love Cory Monteith. Other presenters included news titan Arianna Huffington, MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski, actresses Andie MacDowell and the legendary Diane Keaton, and NBC Today show host Hoda Kotb, who was Tricia’s presenter.
Tricia has acknowledged how in the days and weeks following Kenny’s death, she was overwhelmed by grief and feelings of despair and hopelessness. But she knew that with one in four people affected in some way by mental health issues, changes needed to happen — both in the system and in attitudes — and that’s why she sprang into action.
When the Baker family first launched A.I.R., friends told them that their work, especially their mission to help high school and college students who struggle with depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide, would some day be recognized nationally. And now, that day has come.
“I know Kenny is always with us, and he’s looking at all the good we are doing to help others who are suffering from the same issues that took him from us,” says Tricia.
Tricia did not win the additional $25,000 that was given to one national Women of Worth nominee — that award went at the end of the evening to Lauren Book of Lauren’s Kids. But Tricia and A.I.R. have already won, garnering so much more attention on the national stage as a result of being named an honoree. And the award money they received is enabling A.I.R. to educate many more students in New Jersey and other states as well.
Ultimately, L’Oreal’s tagline, “Because You’re Worth It,” sends a powerful message not just to the women targeted by the marketing campaign, but also to the audience A.I.R. is trying to reach. As the Bakers continue their bittersweet journey, born in grief but sustained by love and hope, their message is that each and every life is beautiful and valuable; each and every life is worth it.
