Kellie Donahue of Butler Township is responsible for bringing the movie “Embrace: One Woman's Journey to Inspire everyBODY” to Regal Moraine Pointe Cinema 10 in Butler Township on Dec. 5. The movie, encourages women to love and respect their bodies.

BUTLER TWP — One woman is on a crusade to share the love this holiday season, but not in the way you might think.

Kellie Donahue of Butler Township is sponsoring a local showing of the movie “Embrace: One Woman’s Journey to Inspire everyBODY” to encourage women to love and respect their bodies.

“I became aware of the film when it was still in its Kickstarter phase. I checked in and followed the project from time to time. When I found out the documentary was finished, and more importantly was available to be seen in the United States, I was thrilled,” said Donahue, a body image movement ambassador for the activism group fighting body loathing.

“I knew as soon as I saw the trailer that I wanted to experience the message that this film delivered. When I found out that I could share it publicly with all of the women in my community, my family and close friends, I instantly knew I wanted to take on the project,” she said.

Donahue, 40, spent many years as a stylist, but her passion for overall health, nutrition and fitness drove her to become a certified holistic health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She started a health coaching business, Life Tula, nearly 2 years ago.

“Embrace” is a documentary explores body image. It was supported by nearly 9,000 pledges based on a movie trailer released in 2014.

“‘Embrace’ is told from the point of view of Australian Taryn Brumfitt, the director, as she travels the globe talking to experts, women in the street and well-known celebrities about the alarming rates of body image issues being seen today,” Donahue said.

The movie’s director spent 24 months, traveling and researching issues that affect women’s perception of their bodies.

“After 24 months of traveling, interviewing, production and post production Taryn and the Embrace team have created a film that is relevant, relatable, highly engaging — but above all life changing,” said Donahue. It is that life-changing nature of the film that encouraged the mother of three daughters to get the movie shown locally.

Donahue was affected personally during her teenage years with body image issues, and her struggle combined with the boldness of the movie inspired her.

“For most of my adult life at times I have placed more value on what I looked like physically versus how I felt mentally and emotionally. Many women base so much of their self worth on outside circumstances,” Donahue said. “

My goal as a health coach is to empower women to eat better, think better, move better, feel better,” she said. “Along with having three daughters, and wanting to teach them as early as possible to have healthy relationship with their bodies mentally and physically, this message partnered well with health coaching, ” she said.

Her oldest daughter will see the film with her. She feels ages 16 and up will benefit most from the movie.

“Some children are dealing with painful negative body image issues at a very young age,” she said.

More information to help make an informed decision about children seeing the film is available by visiting, bodyimagemovement.com/parents-guide-to-embrace.

Kristi Piacine, 43, is a youth advocate and mindfulness leadership facilitator who works with children from her business in Wyomissing, has hosted the movie in her town.

“Little girls learn very early on to rely on feedback from others as to how to perceive themselves and their beauty. Not told often enough, ‘You are so smart,’ the girls more frequently hear ‘Look how cute you are ...’ As they get older they are consistently looking for outside feedback to feel loved,” Piacine said.

She brought the movie to her community because she felt it dealt with an issue that reached around the globe.

“I wanted to encourage our community to come together in peace about our bodies and learn what the positive body image movement is all about. We need to stop accepting mainstream media’s portrayal of what and who is beautiful, and realize that we’re all beautiful,” she said.

“With the explosion of social media and the media in general selling and promoting images that are manipulated and enhanced, body image and even the perception of our lives in general have taken a negative turn, Donahue explained.

Donahue hopes this movie and the social media surrounding it will ease the burden so many women feel with regard to body image and self-loathing.