The Challenge of a New Year

When a New Year is rung in we yearn to embrace the image of our best self. The self we are about to become – now that we’ve been given a clean slate. But this year found us facing challenges we’d never before had to consider.

The cloud of the Thomas Fire darkened the holiday season. We soldiered on, marshaling as much merry as the human spirit would allow. But then came the floods and mudslides, putting the kybosh on our attempts to rise like a phoenix from the ashes.
However, the fallout from these trials and tragedies is the coming together of community. The kindness we show our neighbors – the affinity we feel for strangers who have lost so much.

I was recently in the Post Office inquiring why my mail had stopped for several days. The line was long, only one window open, so the expected grumbling had ensued. Until a woman started a conversation about a friend staying with her because her home had been inundated by mud.

Then the line of impatient patrons turned into a consoling open forum discussing who had been touched by last week’s events and what could be done for them. Empathy and compassion were being handed out in bushel baskets.

When I reached the window I learned my carrier hadn’t been able to get in all week from Carpinteria. But today he’d taken the train into town to insure he could make his rounds. A behind-the-scenes herculean effort so his customers’ lives might continue without interruption.

At Skin Deep we’ve seen clients who almost lost their lives and needed to replace everything, starting with their self-care. Our owner has deeply discounted many of these purchases, and although it’s been an emotional chapter – it’s also been incredibly rewarding to help so many women who have relied on us over the years.
Plus the gratification of seeing our vendors step up once we issued a ‘call to action.’ With their support we’re currently assembling over 50 care bags of deluxe and full size products to include in a community outreach.

Our goal has always been to serve the physical and emotional needs of our clients. To make our patrons feel ‘at home.’ We wish to thank everyone for their continued support – not only of what we do, but also of each other. We are proud to be part of a close-knit community where caring and concern are so vibrantly on display.