Avon - The Company for Women - Corporate Responsibility

Avon has no barriers. Whether you have no formal education or a PhD, you can achieve great things by selling Avon.

Dawn Parrino has been selling Avon for almost, 10 years. As a former model, Dawn had grown accustomed to "life on the go," flying city to city, but when she had children, her priorities changed drastically. "When my first child was nine months old and I was pregnant with my second, I realized I wanted a job where I could be at home, because I couldn’t bear to leave them." Avon provided the opportunity she needed, and today Dawn says Avon has become a family business. "My children help me address my brochures and make deliveries. The flexibility allows me to be the best mom I can be. I get to set my own hours because I am the boss."

Dawn's Avon earnings are paying the tuition for her three children to attend private school as well as paying the mortgage on her home.

Now that her children are older, Dawn has chosen to also work outside of the home as a realtor, while maintaining her Avon business. "Selling Avon has given me so much confidence. Avon has no barriers. Whether you have no formal education or a PhD, you can achieve great things by selling Avon."

... by 1994 she was one of the top Representatives in Illinois and had achieved her dream to have her own successful business.

Christiana Oduh is the embodiment of the American Dream. Born in Africa, Christiana was sent to Chicago at the age of ten to help her aunt care for her children. She aspired to attend law school and, one day, own a business. In high school Christiana began selling Avon to earn money for college, and she achieved this dream, earning her degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. When her first child was born prematurely, Christiana opted to continue her Avon business rather than pursue a law degree, and by 1994 she was one of the top Representatives in Illinois and had achieved her dream to have her own successful business.

Christiana is now one of the most successful Representatives in the United States. Not content with her own success, she and her husband actively raise funds and supplies for their villages in Nigeria, and pursue the goal to build a school and new home for her parents. As a testament to Christiana’s success and dedication to giving back, she was recently featured in Family Circle Magazine.

Dorothy Miegel endured years of personal adversity before finding strength and economic independence through Avon.

Dorothy Miegel endured years of personal adversity—including an alcoholic mother, an abusive husband, and the chronic illness of a child—before finding strength and economic independence through Avon.

In 1990, Dorothy realized her troubled marriage was taking its toll on her children, then ages 13 years, two years and three months. She knew that they needed a fresh start, but she feared she could not earn a living and care for the children on her own.

Dorothy found hope in a newspaper classified ad seeking new Representatives. She responded to the inquiry and began her sales career within days. Dorothy’s empathy and commitment to others won over her customers almost instantly. She quickly earned a spot in the prestigious President’s Club—a special recognition for our top-selling Representatives—and by the second year of selling Avon products, she had joined Avon’s Leadership Program.

Eighteen years on, Dorothy is one of Avon’s top Leadership Representatives in the United States. She has risen to Senior Executive Unit Leader and now oversees 2,000 Representatives in her region.

Please remember people like me and millions others, whose lives you are helping to change...

Thelma Vergara’s career with Avon spans more than 20 years. Today she is a top-selling Representative and Sales Leader. Thelma has not, however, succeeded alone.

Rather, Avon has been a family business for the Vergaras. Thelma’s successful business made her a role model for others in the Philippines, including her 30-year old daughter Grace, who is now an Avon Sales Leader in Thelma’s downline network. Her husband is also involved in the day-to-day operations of Thelma’s business. As Thelma’s customer base expanded, so too did her need to travel and visit with customers around the country. Thelma hired her husband so that they could spend more time together, in spite of her busy schedule.

Recently, doctors discovered that Thelma’s husband had a critical heart condition. They recommended a costly heart procedure to protect him from future risks and complications. Thanks to strong earnings from her Avon business, Thelma was able to cover the costs for his surgery, and, today, Thelma’s husband is living a healthy life.

Thelma recently spoke at a conference for Avon’s senior management and shared her gratitude. "Please remember people like me and millions others, whose lives you are helping to change," she said. "Remember the children who are going to school and college because of Avon, and the families who can live in a house because of Avon. You are the wind beneath our wings."

...the personal connection to and compassion for Representatives that sets Avon apart from other companies.

Avon has been a source of financial stability in Mercedes Valderrama’s life for more than 35 years. In her modest neighborhood outside of Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, she delivers Avon products to the many neighbors, friends and relatives she has connected with over the years.

Throughout her decades of success with Avon, Mercedes has raised four children and also struggled with many personal challenges, including caring for her husband when he was ill and unemployed. Three years ago, Mercedes was faced with her greatest challenge of all. While running errands, she was struck by a car and broke her collarbone, pelvis and hand. She was confined to bed for six months. "For the first two months it was very difficult to speak, but my husband and children helped me to go on selling. The customers came to my house. Sometimes my Area Manager brought cookies to share with everyone who visited me," recalls Mercedes.

Mercedes says that it is the personal connection to and compassion for Representatives that sets Avon apart from other companies. She maintains her optimism and sense of humor to this day. She jokes, "My body may be in bad shape, but my tongue is working better than ever."

My family is indebted to Avon for helping save my life...

These days, Maria da Guarda, now in her sixteenth year as a Representative, doesn’t take much for granted—not her life, her success nor the brochures stuffed inside her shipments of Avon products.

When her usual Avon order arrived in 2003, Maria took the accompanying breast cancer prevention brochure—which outlined self-examination procedures—from the parcel and placed it on her bathroom window. She followed the instructions and, within weeks discovered a lump on her left breast. She spent many sleepless nights worrying that her breast cancer would leave her young daughters, ages one and nine, without a mother. In July 2003, a biopsy confirmed Maria’s worst fears. She traveled to the state capital for surgery followed by intensive chemo and radiotherapy.

Today Maria embraces life more than ever. She continues to work as a Representative and has gone on to pursue other life-long dreams, such as earning a university degree in education. She volunteers in the "Se Liga" (Connect) project, which assists children with learning disabilities. In December 2007, Maria was elected the first Secretary of ACCI (Iporá Association to Combat Breast Cancer). In her new role, Maria visits other women with cancer, giving them words of encouragement and offering financial support. Maria is also writing a book to share the inspiring stories of women who have survived breast cancer.

"My family is indebted to Avon for helping save my life," says Maria. In recognition of her remarkable testimony, Maria received Avon’s global connection pink ribbon—a symbol of her commitment to fighting breast cancer—at Avon’s first Walk Around the World for Breast Cancer event in Brazil.