Donae Cangelosi Chramosta
Tell us a little bit about how you became involved with CHILDREN AT RISK (C@R).
Two years ago I was at a birthday lunch for a friend where Carolyn Farb was also a guest. Carolyn, always one to captivate an audience, shared the extreme numbers of human trafficking in Houston, TX, educating me and the other women at the table of the truly horrific challenges women and children are experiencing in our own backyard.
Fast forward to this year, Stephanie Perkins, one of my closest girlfriends, was asked to chair the 8th annual Children at Risk Gala for 2014. She knew of my commitment to helping children who are victims of sexual abuse, so she asked Lucinda Loya and me to join her as chairs.
What makes you most excited about the Stand Up event you’re co-chairing?
My co-chairs and I absolutely love to throw and plan parties, particularly FUN events. I think this year’s Stand Up event is a great way to utilize our passion for event planning while helping children who are victims of abuse in the process. Stephanie’s personal relationship with Kool & the Gang made them a natural yet unique choice for our entertainment. We all realize there are so many charity events that are absolutely worthy of our time and money however, most are just not that fun. By offering a night where people can dress up, dance and enjoy themselves while singing along with nostalgic music, we believe we will be able to draw in new charitable donors, increasing both awareness and funds for Children at Risk.
What CHILDREN AT RISK issue area are you most passionate about and why?
I want to save every single child who is a victim of sexual abuse. It is just so upsetting to me to know it is happening so often in and around our country and community daily. Statistically, it’s just non comprehendible for me as a mother.
What are your community activities or hobbies, Donae?
I am known to my friends and business associates as The Vintage Contessa, a self proclaimed shopaholic, fashionista and lover of all things vintage.
Alongside my husband Rob Chramosta, and with daily input from our little Princessa Bella, I run a beautiful luxury boutique and website, selling vintage items from the fashion houses of Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. The boutique caters to customers from around the world, all of whom share a love for finding that perfect vintage piece.
In addition to running my business, I am passionate about supporting philanthropic causes including pediatric cancer research. If you can’t find me at our boutique, I can normally to be found organizing charitable events both in my home town of Houston, and around the country.
Always a firm believer in following my dreams, I decided to make one of mine come true when I sat down with Bella to write our first children’s book, The Vintage Contessa and Princessa.
Learn more about Donae at www.thevintagecontessa.com
When you were a child, what did you dream you would be when you grew up?
Most of my “life dreams” were formed as a young adult. As a graduate of Texas A & M University, oddly I chose Journalism as my degree, thinking I would work for an advertising agency and subliminally direct consumers to buy the products I was promoting. After realizing a career in advertising wasn’t lucrative, I opted for my family business, an international award winning full service marble and granite company, Cangelosi Co. In 2011 I left to follow my dream of creating and running my own business, The Vintage Contessa. Traveling internationally with my family, buying luxury goods, writing a children’s book with my daughter, and building my own brand is living a dream even larger than I could have imagined for myself. I am very blessed.
What is one reason someone should give their time, effort, and support to CHILDREN AT RISK?
I believe in systemic change by addressing core issues. With Houston as the hub for human trafficking with one in four US victims passing through Texas, we have to take responsibility for what is happening in our city.
Most youth at risk for sexual exploitation are runaways or “throwaway” youth who have left home due to experiencing neglect or abuse in their homes. Traffickers, also known as pimps, prey upon the vulnerabilities of these youth. They provide them with food and shelter, as well as attention and affection, in an attempt to fill the voids the prompted the youth to run in the first place. In exchange, the children must perform commercial sex acts, and are often brutally beaten and abused if they refuse.