Former "Real Housewife of D.C." Mary Amons has hired a Beverly Hill-based PR firm to tout the fact that she's "refocused her efforts on philanthropy and charity."

Amons will be taking a trip to the Dominican Republic in April 2013, where she'll be acting as a surrogate mom to kids going through medical procedures, her new publicist Zuzana Korda told Yeas & Nays. Previously, Amons has been involved with the charity Labels for Love and started her own anti-bullying charity, Love Not Label, earlier this year.

As for why Amons went outside the District for representation, Korda tells us that Amons is trying to raise her national visibility. "We are the best in the PR business and have a 30 year established reputation having represented 58 Academy Award Winners, 40 New York Times Best-sellers and 34 Grammy award winners," Korda said via email.