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A benefit for the New Beginnings Thrift and Resale store, the first annual Special Friends Mother’s Day Fashion Show was held on May 6 at Paine’s Restaurant in Hollister.
According to Special Friends president Susan Postigo, more than 100 people attended the event to watch the 14 Special Friends clients take their turns as models.
Postigo said the event’s purpose was to raise awareness in San Benito County for “our special friends in the community and let them come out and have fun.”
“We are absolutely going to do this event again,” Postigo said. “The participants were from Hope (Services) and the Hollister High School Transition (Partnership) Program. I think it might get bigger and bigger every year.”
Nedda Mayzouni. Photo by Adam Bell. 
David Escover. Photo by Adam Bell. 
Allison Garcia and Tayler Hilden. Photo by Adam Bell. 
Karissa Skow. Photo by Adam Bell. 
Nedda Mayzouni. Photo by Adam Bell. 
Fashion Show participants getting lunch. Photo by Adam Bell. 
First annual Special Friends Mother’s Day Fashion Show. Photo by Adam Bell. 
Life Skills art work. Photo by Adam Bell.
She said Anakin Srisavaththay, a Hollister High School student, was the most excited about the event.
“We have my students come work at New Beginnings once a week,” said life skills teacher Ann Vasquez, “Allison told me they were having a fashion show so we opened it up for our students to act as models.”
She said the life skills students volunteer at New Beginnings every Tuesday.
“We all have three adult transition programs participating,” Vasquez said. “We have my classes every third week.”
She said the students were very excited to be models.
“We love to get together with the whole community,” Vasquez said. “We love seeing the kids and the wonderful clothes. We eat together, and there is a whole sense of community.”
Besides the hope that the event raised some money, she said it also brought people together to see what is available for her students.
“I volunteer at New Beginnings,” Susan Hilden said. “So when Susan Postigo and Alison started planning this, I was involved. Many people in the community benefit from Hope Services and the program at the high school. It is an amazing group in our community.”
Hilden said she loves seeing the models coming out and that it makes every person who’s involved understands how important they are in the community.
Rochelle Skow’s daughter, Karissa Skow, works for New Beginnings.
“I wanted to see her and all her friends modeling the clothes,” Rochelle said “I love all of it. Everything is so new and exciting. It’s the first time they have done this and this has been wonderful.”
Vasquez encouraged people to attend the Life Skills Art Show on May 17 at the San Benito County Arts Council.
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