Our internet friend Ashlea has alerted us to the fact that Dress for Success, a non-profit organization which provides professional, interview-appropriate suits and dresses to disadvantaged women who are entering the workforce, is in great need of plus-size suits and other work-wear.
From their website:
The clothing that Dress for Success provides to our clients symbolizes our faith in every woman’s ability to succeed.
Dress for Success solves the catch-22 that confronts disadvantaged women trying to enter the workforce: without a job, how can you afford a suit? But without a suit, how can you get a job?
Shortly after Dress for Success was founded, we became well-known for providing suits to disadvantaged women returning to or entering the workforce. Although our mission has expanded, the suiting program remains a crucial part of our work and a vital first-step in a woman’s journey toward self-sufficiency.
Each Dress for Success client receives one suit when she has a job interview and additional apparel—up to a week’s worth of clothing—when she becomes employed.
::snip::
What would you wear to a job interview? That is exactly the type of clothing we are looking for to distribute to our clients. Your fabulous suits and other professional apparel could furnish another woman with the confidence to enter or return to the workplace, make a great first impression and land a job that could change her life.
To suit our clients in style, Dress for Success currently accepts new or nearly-new and cleaned:
Coordinated, contemporary, interview-appropriate skirt and pant suits
Beautiful, crisp blouses
Gorgeous blazers and jackets
Professional shoes
We are particularly in need of larger-size suits and apparel.
If you have plus-size clothes that could help another Big Girl land a job, go here to see where your nearest Dress for Success office is (they have affiliates around the world).
Big Girls helping each other!
I’ve been a fan of Dress for Success for years.
In the DC Metro area you can drop off donations at Crest cleaners, they will dry clean the clothes and get them to DFS. Super convenient.
Comment by jojokaffe — February 27, 2009 @ 1:52 pm
You can also donate things like slacks, sweaters, etc to Working Wardrobe:
http://www.workingwardrobes.org/
They provide women (and men, too) with everyday work clothes. It is a good place to take your clothes that are not quite interview caliber. I have been donating anything that is in reasonably good shape to them for a few years now, and they take a wide variety of styles and levels of dressy-ness.
Comment by Amy K. — February 27, 2009 @ 2:07 pm
Dress for Success is a great organization that does a lot more than just match clients with clothes. They have been responsible for giving a great many people just the right kind of support and self-respect, at just the right time, to change a lot of lives.
Comment by raincoaster — February 27, 2009 @ 9:52 pm
Dress for Success, Career Closet,Working Wardobe: whatever they call it in your neighborhood, make a donation! Whether it’s clothing, cash, or time, they can use it all. I try to edit my closet twice a year and I always make sure I set aside the work-worthy stuff for them. Help a sister out!
Comment by that redhead — February 27, 2009 @ 11:44 pm
Thanks so much for posting this! It’s such an easy thing to do – drop off that suit that we just don’t wear – and it becomes so much more to someone else.
Comment by Ash — February 28, 2009 @ 1:03 pm