Joliet’s Joshua Arms senior residence to host fashion, talent show

Thirteen residents of a low-income senior housing facility in Joliet will host their first fashion and talent show Friday – by invitation only.

Since Jan. 24, Trista Brown, 65, of Joliet has brought her Trista-Raye Ultimate Image Model Workshop Agency to Joshua Arms Senior Residences in Joliet.

Over the past few months, Brown has taught participating residents the basics of walking, speaking and acting “to help them capture the confidence inside them and put it on the runway,” she said.

And it’s working.

Paula Parsons, 59, said it’s her first fashion and talent show and she’s excited.

“I’m doing things I’ve never done before,” Parsons said during a recent photo shoot. “I learned that I can be beautiful and do moves I didn’t think I could do.”

Mary Crawford, 70, echoed Parsons’ sentiments.

“We learned to walk and be sassy,” Crawford said. “It’s very fun.”

Wayne McNair of Wayne McNair Photography volunteered his services for the photo shoot because he said he liked what Brown was doing.

McNair guided each woman to walk to her spot and then into the best poses.

Each woman will also receive an 8-by-10-inch photo of herself, too, he said.

“It’s amazing to see the women feel special,” McNair said. “I’ll get some really nice photos, because they look so nice.”

Makeup artist Andrea Ryl-kuchar volunteered her services, too.

“I like to do things for the community, to give back and perk up their day,” Ryl-Kuchar said. “It makes me happy.”

Lisa Parham, activities director at Joshua Arms, said she’s wanted to “put something like this together for my residents” for the past five years.

“Thank God for Trista,” Parham said. “Once she came in here, her outgoing personality motivated my people to want to do it. It got them involved and made them feel really special and good about themselves.

“It’s been so morale-building for these women. I’ve never seen this much transformation.”

—  Cookie Ostrem, volunteer and resident of Joshua Arms in Joliet

Jayne Schaeflein, 67, said she got involved because “people said it would be fun being in the show, doing poses and stuff.”

Beatrice Taylor, 65, said entire process “inspired us as seniors.” And she can’t wait for the big day.

“I’m like a little kid,” Taylor said.

Karen Cannady, 53, said the modeling workshops really “encouraged people to get out of their apartments and do something fun instead of sitting in the rooms.”

“And it’s definitely fun,” Cannady said. “It’s amazing how much it’s done for everybody.”

‘A light and radiance to the ladies’

Parham, who will model and perform in the talent show as one of the Supremes, wholeheartedly agreed.

“Some of them were really down when Trista first started coming here, but she motivated them,” Parham said. “She tells them how beautiful they are and she really makes them feel good. So they’ve been really excited.”

Cookie Ostrem, 78, is a Joshua Arms resident but instead of participating, she’s volunteering. Ostrem said Friday that she’s helped the women with their clothes, makeup and keeping them “on point.”

“It’s been so morale-building for these women. I’ve never seen this much transformation,” Ostrem said. “Trista’s done so much work on her own and she’s so good to the girls. They are overwhelmed with happiness.”

Betty Darby, 78, said the “dancing and the wiggling” really “keeps her going.”

Diane Smith, 73 and an artist, said she never dreamed she’d ever become a model and can’t wait for her family to see her.

“My brother and his wife will be in the front row,” Smith said.

But for Vallerie Horschler, 82, the fashion and talent show really isn’t about her at all.

“I just want to bring a lot of happiness to people,” Horschler said. “And I want to show people, ‘So what if you’re old and have problems physically? You can still have fun and show your best foot forward.’”

Brown said she paid for all the clothes for the models from her own pocket because she was unable to obtain funding.

Glenda McCullum, Joshua Arms marketing coordinator, said she donated the hats and was happy to help the residents because the modeling “has done so much for their self-esteem.”

“It’s brought such a light and radiance to the ladies,” McCullum said. “They will not be the same.”

Ultimately, Brown – who said she was once “clumsy and dyslexic until someone developed her own confidence” – hopes the fashion show and talent show will help others to “not forget the people in the nursing home.”

“One day we will be in that situation,” Brown said. “So let’s bring joy and love to one another. It’s an easy thing to do and does not take that much effort.”

Interested in attending Friday night’s fashion and talent show? Call Brown at 815-517-7605.