OKEECHOBEE — A local woman has earned her second vehicle through the Mary Kay Company.

Janice Pietro is a native Floridian. She lived in Palm Beach County for the first 50 years of her life but moved to Okeechobee in 2008 to be with her daughter and watch her grandkids grow up. She worked for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for 30 years and took early retirement. She started at 18 and retired at 48.

After she left the sheriff’s office, she supplemented her retirement by selling Mary Kay. She loves Mary Kay because the company is all about helping people, she said. Mary Kay has two foundations. One is to help victims of domestic violence, and one is for cancers that affect women.

Ms. Pietro credits her team with earning the car. “I could not have done it without them,” she said. “In Mary Kay, you can’t win a car by yourself.” Her team consists of the consultants who joined the Mary Kay family through Ms. Pietro. To earn the car, they must do a certain amount of production, and Ms. Pietro’s production can only be 25% of that total. The rest must come from the team. This keeps everyone producing and not just the one trying to earn a car. “My unit and I did over $45,000 wholesale production to earn the car. My unit is the Chosen Unit. I am so proud of my unit.”

Not only does she get the car, but Mary Kay also pays 85% of her auto insurance, tax and tag.

Pietro earned her first car four years ago, in the midst of the pandemic.

It has taken her four years to earn her second car, but she hopes it will not take her as long to move to the next level.

Her first car was a Chevy Malibu. The new one is a Chevy Trax.

Not only does Pietro sell Mary Kay, but she has always done charity work, she said.  When she was in Palm Beach County, she was a member of teddy bear clubs. They collected teddy bears, but not just any teddy bears. They collected the special ones like Steiff and John R. Wright and other famous artists’ teddy bears. Their clubs raised money for different causes. One of the clubs was called Good Bears of the World. They raised money and sent the bears to some needy organizations. One of the charities they supported was Guardians Ad Litem.

Pietro’s favorite way to raise funds is through Quarters for a Cause. She said people are sometimes intimidated by their first trip to a quarters auction, but it is really very simple. She explained how a quarter auction works. She goes forward and tells everyone she wants two quarters for her basket. If you want to bid on the basket, you put your quarters on the table and hold up your paddle. A number is chosen, and if your number (on your paddle) is called, you go home with the basket for two quarters. The charity gets all the quarters that were bid. If they pull a number, and that paddle is on the table, but the person did not put any quarters out, they will pull another number until they get a winner. Some of her baskets are worth $70, and you would win them for 50 cents, she said. The vendors can ask between one and four quarters for their items, but most ask for two.

Another way they raise money for the charities is by obtaining donated items from businesses or people around town that they then auction off during the event. If you decide to bid on an item, you must buy tickets. You must pay $5, and you get six tickets. Then you go to the tables where all the items being auctioned off are, and each item has a cup in front of it. If you are interested in something, you can put one ticket in or all your tickets in. At some point, a ticket will be selected, and if it is yours, you will win that item. So, you could feasibly win any prize for less than a dollar.

Pietro does not restrict herself to Quarters for a Cause, but also helps with other fundraising needs when she can. She does have one rule, though. She prefers to help those who are sick. She understands that there are other reasons people need help, but she feels that is her calling, and there are only so many hours in a day.

If you spot Pietro driving around Okeechobee in her brand new Chevy Trax, make sure to wave, and if you need Mary Kay, you know who to call.