Yolanda Cellucci

“I have friends who are healthier and younger than me, and they’re sitting at home bored all day,” says Yolanda Cellucci. “Those are the ones that I try to get to volunteer. Just relax, have fun, and find out how good it feels to get involved.”

If you’re fortunate enough to meet style icon and business owner Yolanda Cellucci, it’s likely that she will greet you while dressed in the finest white outfit you’ve ever seen. White is her uniform for any event she takes part in, whether it’s hosting a fashion show with players from the Boston Celtics as runway models, or giving out toys at The Salvation Army in her hometown of Waltham, Mass.

“Wearing white reminds me of stars, celebrations, and bright, beautiful lights,” says Yolanda. “That’s what it feels like when I volunteer: like a bright light is shining on my day.”

Years ago, she was the owner of Yolanda’s, a first-of-its-kind boutique with handcrafted wigs, dresses, and a beauty salon. She served not just the fashion elite but also cancer patients and retirees suffering from hair loss. One Christmas season, a local TV station that Cellucci had worked with before asked her if she would like to be their “celebrity bell ringer” for The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign.

“I had a lot of fun ringing the bell, and I started looking more and more into what The Salvation Army does. I knew about their kettles during Christmas, but I learned that they weren’t just active in December. They were working year-round,” says Yolanda. It was a concept that she understood well; fashion has no offseason, and neither does The Salvation Army.

“I wrote a children’s book about the celebrations that my late daughter, Linda, would have for every month as a child. We both believed that it’s important to keep joy throughout the year,” she says. “I’d love for the public to see how the Army is always hard at work too. They have programs and ministries for every week and month that deserve attention like the red kettles do.”

Cellucci grew up with modest means, but today, it’s hard to find a New England charity that she has not supported. She admits, though, that The Salvation Army’s daily presence in the community and its selfless work make its mission stand out.

“There are many organizations that do a lot of good, but sometimes they spend so much money trying to outdo each other that it becomes a competition. It becomes more about who can throw the most glamorous party, and helping isn’t the purpose anymore,” says Yolanda. “But for The Salvation Army, everything they do is for the good of their local community. That’s what they’ve become known for. “The Army also allows you to see the direct results of the time or money that you’re giving. The face of a child lights up when they get to pick out a backpack for the new school year. Parents are usually the one making all the choices for kids. But ask a child ‘Which one do you want?’ and then let them choose. It’s a priceless feeling for them and you, and one that you want to experience again and again.”

In fashion, it only takes a small accessory to elevate an outfit; the right addition for the right occasion can make all the difference. In the same way, Yolanda says that although some think volunteering is something beyond their own abilities, the truth is that every small bit of help goes a long way.

“People see helping as something so big, that they may not know where to begin. When you show them, they see that the problem of, say, helping end food insecurity is so large that they feel as if they have to give a lot of their time to make a difference,” says Yolanda. “I remember meeting a woman from Waltham who wanted to get involved with the Army, but she only had a few hours to give. I gave her the names of the officers in Waltham, and said that those few hours would make them very happy.”

When work is done from the heart, even if it’s only for a few hours, it makes a difference. And everything that Cellucci has done as a mother, wife, and entrepreneur has come from her own heart.

“I’m always asked why I’m always so happy and smiling everywhere I go. It’s because I’m so fortunate,” says Yolanda. “God has given me a chance to enjoy my life, even today. And a big part of that enjoyment comes from giving my time to others.

“When I tell someone that I’m going to The Salvation Army to help, sometimes they ask what could I possibly be doing there. And I tell them, there’s so much to do.”