The Duffy House Holds Annual Day of Pampering

The Duffy House held their annual day of pampering last Saturday to give women and children a well-deserved break.

“This year, we’re really blessed,” event organizer Christine Eads said. “We’ve got women coming from Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Prince William County and Arlington.”

The day  of pampering, held at Burke United Methodist Church, gave women the opportunity to visit a variety of free stations. At the temporary spa, clients could get their hair done, receive a mani-pedi, get a massage and partake in makeup counseling with Mary Kay. Elsewhere, women could choose to engage in spiritual counseling, meditation, or receive parenting tips.

Eads said that most women at the event bee lined for a room full of children’s clothes and toys first, aiming to get something special for their kids. All the clothing and toys were donated and clients were allowed to take as many items as they liked.

Personal trainer Leigh Anne Adusei was present to teach techniques for exercising in an inexpensive way. She gives free exercise consultations through her business ThankfullyFit.

“There’s lots of ways to work out without belonging to a gym or having a personal trainer,” Adusei said.

While their moms were being pampered, children could play in a fun bus, participate in laser tag (donated by Games 2 You) or do arts and crafts. Volunteers took care of younger children. Connie Niebuhr brought out her horse Kid, who often meets with the children that Duffy House serves as a therapeutic exercise.

“The relationship between the kids and the horses is amazing and fun to watch,” Eads said. “We take various safe houses out to a farm with llamas, potbellied pigs, and other animals.”

Children at the event could ride or groom the horse.

“Horses are tremendous healers,” Niebuhr said. “They teach children so many lessons on so many levels.”

Numerous businesses donated items and their time to the event. UPS brought many of its own workers to volunteer. Saxby’s Coffee donated pastries and coffee for breakfast. Villa Bella gave pizza and Panda Express in Merrifield brought out Chinese food for lunch.

Souny West, the owner of W Salon, brought several of her employees to the event. Eads is a client at W Salon and mentioned the event to West.

“We certainly want to give back to the community,” said West, pointing out free grab bags and flower pins she had brought along. “We always want to help out our clients ‘cause then they help us. They told us about this and I jumped at the chance.”

The event is one of the largest of the year for Duffy House.

“Starting tomorrow, we’ll gear up for next year collecting kids toys and clothes,” Eads said. “All this was in my basement until this event.”

A Duffy House client at the event enjoyed the day very much.

“It’s fabulous,” she said. “It’s very rare for a mom to do something like this and have something for your kids that’s equally exciting for them. They’ve been talking about this all week.”

The Duffy House offers long-term care and support services for women who are survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault and their children.  The organization does not currently have its own permanent location but often works to get women into safe houses in the area. In the past, when no spots were available, The Duffy House has put up women in hotels until something could be arranged. To find out more information, you can visit www.theduffyhouse.org