Mary Kay held the first annual ‘Ash Heart of Courage Awards’ last week in Washington, D.C. to recognize trailblazers as they share their successes, as well as challenges, in ending the domestic violence epidemic.

Anne Crews, board member, The Mary Kay Foundation and vice president of public affairs for Mary Kay Inc. comments, “For decades, Mary Kay has been committed to ending domestic violence. This awards program recognizes those we stand alongside in this fight by bringing awareness and recognition to their tireless efforts.”

This year’s honorees are:

• Trailblazer Award – Kathleen Buhle Biden – a domestic violence advocate and strong supporter of her former father-in-law, Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who worked to pass the Violence Against Women Act.  She currently serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project whose mission is to provide pro bono legal services to domestic violence victims.

• Digital Champion – Beverly T. Gooden – a social activist, speaker and creator of a viral Twitter movement.  #WhyIStayed was named by TIME as one of the Top 10 Hashtags That Started a Conversation.  Her writing has appeared in The New York Times and NBC’s TODAY to name a few.

• Media Visionary – Melissa Jeltsen – a senior reporter at HuffPost where she covers domestic violence and other issues related to women’s health, safety and security.  She has published blunt, impactful articles shedding light on the issue of domestic violence. 

• Leader in Prevention – Day One – since its launch in 2003, Day One has become a primary voice of expertise in New York City on the issue of dating abuse and domestic violence among youth.  Since its inception, it has educated more than 75,000 youth about how to identify and maintain healthy relationships.

• People’s Choice: Voice of the Year – Charmagne Helton – a domestic violence survivor who was three months pregnant the first time her husband beat her, bursting her eardrums.  Today, she is a zealous fundraiser, organizer and public speaker for domestic violence issues. 

The Mary Kay Ash Heart of Courage Awards Steering Committee voted to choose the honorees. The committee includes leaders from the National Network to End Domestic Violence Hotline, Break the Cycle, Futures Without Violence, the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.