I am raising $4,062 for Paris Fashion Week with Flying Solo.  Let me tell about myself. I am a mother of three children. 


When I was in 3rd grade I aspired to be a fashion designer. However, life took me off that path for many years. Over time I experienced domestic violence as a child of a domestic violence victim and then ended up being a victim myself. However, my abuse did not start there. 


I was sexually, verbally, physically  abused as a child. Therefore, it was easy to consider a malignant narcissist to be my knight shinning honor. I was looking for love and love was really something that I knew nothing about. I was in need of food and shelter, because my mom was away. She was running from her abusive husband. 


So, my senior year  of high school was basically spent being homeless. I moved from house to house.  I had free lunch at school that year, which at times,  was the only food I had. I remember going to sleep after school to keep from being hungry. 


I married and struggled back in forth in that relationship. I am now divorced with three children from that marriage. I have worked hard to rebuild my life. And now I want to help people who end up in situations like I was in. For that reason, my children and I started No Punching Bag. No Punching Bag  is a fashion brand for social change. My children and I  came up with the name chatting one night during dinner. We wanted to create something that was indirectly related to domestic violence. 


The Fashion industry has a lot of influence on society. No Punching Bag started as a  brand idea. Organically, we decided let it lead us. No Punching Bag lead me back to the dream I had in 3rd grade. We are now getting a lot attention on the Runway. This  encouragement let's me know nothing is impossible. No Punching Bag fashion collections are centered around stereotypes, social justice, domestic violence, and other society issues. 


Since we are  still in financial recovery adjusting to my income, we have sometimes in the past turned down opportunities that were presented to us. Paris Fashion Week with Flying Solo is not an opportunity I want to turn down. The designer fee is normally $5,900, but they are giving us the slot for $2,950. I am the only one with a passport, because I served in Nicaragua. So, I will go alone. The funds are due January 24 and Show is February 28th. I have found a bundled package on Expedia ranging from $899-$$1,112 . The total I need is around $4,062.  I would greatly appreciate your support. No amount is too small to be considered.