Kerwood Receives National Recognition

Nov. 11, 2012 - PRLog -- NextStep Recycling (NextStep) is pleased to announce that its founder, Lorraine Kerwood LMSW, has been honored as a 21012 Woman of Worth by L’Orèal Paris for her work with NextStep, an organization that provides technology literacy and job and social skillstraining to persons with disabilities and other marginalized populations.  Lorraine is one of ten honorees from across the country who will be recognized for her dedication to community engagement and the protection of our environment from toxic materials. Learn more: http://www.womenofworth.com/honorees/honoreesdetail.aspx?id=Lorraine_Kerwood&yr=2012&

“What an honor, to be chosen as a L’Orèal Paris Woman of Worth,” says Kerwood, founder of NextStep. “This wonderful recognition and the very generous $10,000 award will allow NextStep and Kindtree Autism Rocks! to expand their outreach to more children diagnosed with autism. It is truly a privilege to be among the company of these ten brilliant women who are providing much-needed support to their communities.”

The ten Women of Worth honorees will also compete via online voting for a chance to win an additional $25,000 for their charity.  Public online voting for the Women of Worth National Honoree will take place from November 5th through November 21st at http://www.womenofworth.com.  Visitors to the site can vote once per day for their favorite Woman of Worth, and the honoree with the most votes will be named the 2012 National Honoree.

The Women of Worth initiative, now in its seventh year, is inspired by L’Orèal Paris’ iconic brand philosophy, “Because You’re Worth It.”  Since its inception, the program has recognized 70 women for their outstanding devotion to their causes; honorees embody the spirit of the L’Orèal Paris brand through their commitment to their communities, their selflessness and their drive to make a difference in the world.

Lorraine is a nationally recognized social justice worker and businesswoman. Her commitment to supporting community members to find their brilliance led her to begin what is now known as NextStep Recycling in her garage in 1999. NextStep has grown from its initial grassroots beginning as a Macintosh computer fix-it-and-pass-it-on resource into a thriving community service organization. NextStep implements its three-part mission of education, employment and environment through focused efforts in Lane County, Oregon, other areas of the US, and internationally.

Since 1999, NextStep has accepted donations of hundreds of thousands of computers and other electronic devices. Since that time, NextStep has placed thousands of pieces of equipment back into the community—including 30,000 refurbished computer systems--and recycled over 10,200,000 pounds of electronic waste. More than 1700 volunteers have donated over 136,000 hours of service refurbishing and recycling computers. In addition, 10,000 individuals have enhanced their employment marketability through experiential service learning and extensive training.

Learn more about L’Orèal Paris Woman of Worth program at http://www.womenofworth.com
Learn more about NextStep at http://www.nextsteprecycling.org
Learn more about Kindtree Autism Rocks! at http://www.kindtree.org