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Posted: 01/16/13

From left, Debbie Majchrzak, A Beautiful Me (ABMe) board member; Linda Porter, RMHC event consultant; a Renaissance High School teen mentor and Karen Palka, founder and executive director of ABMe.

(Photo courtesy of Karen Palka)

ABMe awarded grant,
obtains service mark

      The United States Patent and Trademark Office has awarded the service mark to A Beautiful Me (ABMe).
       In addition, ABMe, a local non-profit group that provides interactive workshops to foster self-worth for women of all ages, was awarded a Ronald McDonald House Charities Grant.
       A service mark will be instrumental during ABMe's nationwide expansion.
       ". . . the mark will prohibit more well-known celebrities from using such name, as was in the past," said Karen Palka, ABMe founder and executive director.
       Service marks are similar to trademarks, except they are used to identify the source of the product or service rather than the product itself.
       The application process began in June 2010 with the assistance of Michigan Community Resources who partnered attorney Eric Fingerhut of Dykema in Washington, D.C. with ABMe. As an intellectual property attorney, Fingerhut along with firm associate Shannon McKeon, provided their expertise pro bono in securing the mark.
       Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Southeast Michigan, with a matching grant from RMHC National, awarded ABMe a total of $7,035. This grant will be used specifically in Wayne County to assist young ladies, ages 8-18 years old, in understanding their self-worth through a 4-part interactive workshop series.
       Palka said there is less than 7 percent of national philanthropic dollars given to help women and girls so RMHC's grant shows its dedication to improving the quality of children's lives.
       The organization is geared toward helping young people lead healthier, happier and more productive lives by funding programs in the areas of health care and medical research; education and the arts and social and civic concerns.
       "As we provide character education, we are grateful for the many people that support our work to strengthen the self-esteem of girls through free workshops," said Palka. "Dykema and Ronald McDonald House Charities have both assisted in our mission. Together we can build the next generation of confident women."
       Since 2009, more than 1,400 young ladies have participated in an original 4-part workshop series within Michigan and internationally.
       To learn more about ABMe and how this program is making a difference in young girls' lives both locally and in other parts of the world, contact Palka at (586) 604-3037, by e-mail at Karen@ABMe.us, or through the website at www.ABeautifulMe.com.