Toni Muñoz-Hunt is featured on the exclusive online consignment shop, Vaunte. She is the first “Starlet” from Dallas to appear on the site. Vaunte handpicks starlets based on their style and their contributions to fashion, culture, and enterprise. Vaunte is a members-only online consignment shop that enables you to shop the country’s most fashionable women’s closets. You can learn more about Toni and some of her favorite things by checking out the Vaunte feature below. See who made the cut. Also, get first dibs on some of her favorite pieces by visiting the Vauntewebsite. True to form, Toni is donating all proceeds from her Vaunte sales to Model Behaviors’ featured charity, Women Called Moses.
2. “Violence is not inevitable, it’s learned, and if it’s learned, it can be unlearned”
We at Model Behaviors have made it our mission to help put an end to domestic violence. And as part of our mission to raise awareness, we have partnered up with Women Called Moses, a nonprofit that is on the frontlines of this widespread issue, that rescues women from abusive relationships. Everyday, women are rallying against this issue and standing up against domestic violence, so it is no surprise that TEDWomen 2013 added Esta Soler to their recent high-profile platform. Soler has been a passionate activist for this cause since the seventies. As she takes to the stage, she has a Polaroid camera in her possession. Though this antiquated technology seems harmless, it was her weapon back then. She has taken countless Polaroid pictures of bruises, injuries, and violence. These snapshots have been legal evidence, and over the years, they have helped her understand that “violence is not inevitable, it is learned. And if it is learned, it can be unlearned and prevented.” Through our own research and interviews, we have come to the same conclusion and also feel that this cycle can and needs to be stopped.
To help stop this cycle, Soler founded an organization thirty years ago and now it is known as Futures Without Violence. In addition to her organization, she helped pass the Violence against Women Act of 1994. She goes on to say that her journey has not been an easy one. According to Soler, a male senator referred to the act as the “take the fun out of marriage act.” Despite the scrutiny, the Act was passed, recognizing domestic violence as a crime and not just a family matter, and it provides education and training for law enforcement, to help them handle domestic violence incidents appropriately. Since its passage into law, the domestic violence rate has dropped 64 percent. That is a significant difference, but the fight is far from over. Soler says, “we are not going to solve this by building more jails or more shelters. It’s going to be solved through economic empowerment for women [and] healing kids who are hurt. It’s about prevention with a capital P.” Futures Without Violence provides domestic violence prevention education and training programs to women and men, and girls and boys. The organization promotes the importance of healthy and respectful relationships. To learn more about this amazing woman and her organization, click here. Together, we can make a difference.
Thanksgiving, the name says it all; it’s a time to count your blessings while devouring your favorite foods with friends and family. The following day, we often take it for granted that we are in a position to hunt for the best deals of the year offered on Black Friday. So why not extend the spirit of Thanksgiving for another day and give back to people in need while you’re shopping away? Model Behaviors continues to raise awareness and money for our featured charity, Women Called Moses, a nonprofit organization that rescues women from abusive relationships. These women are spending this Thanksgiving in a domestic violence shelter and could use some encouragement. We asked the founder and president of Women Called Moses, Debra Nixon-Bowles, what the women need most. She suggested we step into the shoes of these women and imagine being on the run without money or your belongings.
According to the Department of Justice, 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence. To better comprehend this statistic and undiscriminating problem, and to learn how to help prevent it, we sat down with Debra Nixon-Bowles, founder and president of Women Called Moses. When first setting eyes on Nixon-Bowles, it is evident that she does more than just sit at a desk and go to luncheons to raise awareness. This presence to be reckoned with is on the frontlines, trying to single-handedly put an end to this rising epidemic, one woman at a time.
