We Live United by adding Sparkle and Shine

The Polished Girlz founder Alanna Jai Wall interviews with United Way after receiving the Volunteer of the Month Award for June!

June Community Volunteer of the Month

Alanna Wall lives united by putting a sparkle in the lives of others. Volunteer Connection is proud to announce Alanna Wall as the Community Volunteer of the Month.

As the founder of the organization Polished Girlz, Alanna Wall has changed the lives of so many adults and her peers with her creativity, caring heart, and a little glitter. In February 2011 at the age of 10, Alanna decided to get some friends together to do something special for girls with special needs. In the words of Alanna, “glitter makes everything better.” That is exactly what she set out to do - change the lives of others - and thus Polished Girlz was formed.

With the help and tremendous support of her mother, Ms. Valerie Ragland, Polished Girlz began contacting local nonprofit organizations to see if they could cheer up clients by polishing their finger nails. “I was hesitant because the girls were so young,” states Diane Osman from United Rehabilitation Services. Diane took a chance on Alanna, and her team, accompanied by her mother.  What an enormous pleasure the meeting turned out to be for Alanna, the Polished Girlz, and the staff and clients of United Rehabilitation Services!

In February, Alanna set a goal to bring cheer to at least 100 clients by polishing their nails. As of now, the Polished Girlz have already touched the lives of 135 clients with disabilities from various organizations, and she expects to have served 500 clients by the end of 2011. What started earlier this year as a way to do something special for a couple of girls with special needs has transformed into a revelation of what one person can do to change their community and the world. Alanna and the Polished Girlz have already brought sparkle into the lives of the clients and staff from United Rehabilitation Services, The Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association, The Wesley Center, Relay for the Cure, The Greater Dayton Muscular Dystrophy Association, The Down Syndrome Buddy Walk, and private clients with chronic and/or terminal illnesses.

Alanna ensures that the mission and focus of Polished Girlz is centered around building strong leaders and independent thinkers while providing a service that improves the self-perception and quality of life of their clients. With the help of Alanna’s mom, Polished Girlz stresses the importance of washing your hands, and they clean their utensils with the same products as licensed nail technicians. Trainings and orientation for new girls interested in Polished Girlz are held by Alanna and supporters at the K12 Gallery for Young People.

A representative from the Polished Girlz Board Members, Ms. Carmen Bostic, is very excited to be a part of history in the making and such a positive effort. Alanna is such an inspiration to adults as well as her peers with such a spirit of perseverance. She is so dedicated that she volunteered to help with clients at United Rehabilitation Services on her Spring Break from her school, Richard Allen Academy Elementary. Thank you, Alanna, for putting a sparkle in our lives.

United Way’s Volunteer Connection is proud to recognize Alanna Wall as the Community Volunteer of the Month of June.