As women, we feel pressure from both our society and our strained economy to “make a living.” We understand this as we struggle to pay our bills from month to month. We understand this as we struggle to finish our educations, to develop our careers, and possibly start our families. As mothers, we begin to understand in a different light. This pressure is suddenly desperation. A dire need to provide for our offspring is forever pressing, and for many of us, failure is looming beyond the next paycheck. Middle America is shrinking, while low-income and poverty rates increase. A “career” is often a dream, while a “job” or even 2 or 3, await us without patience or mercy.
As a newly single mother of one, I’m beginning to understand what a scary world we live in. I’m starting out on my own, and if it weren’t for my loving and supportive family, my future would be bleak. So when Rocky gave me the link for Dress For Success, it touched a soft spot in my heart.
For one woman to have the confidence, to be afforded the opportunity to stand tall and proud, confident in herself, her abilities, her appearance, well, that is a life changing gift.
And Dress for Success strives to provide that. A highly innovative nonprofit organization that prepares low-income woman for successful, longstanding careers, they claim;
“The mission of Dress for Success is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.”
These folks solve a tragic problem that plagues many American woman and that is, without money, how does one buy a suit for an interview? And without appropriate attire, how does one land the opportunity to start their career?
Clients referred to Dress for Success by local churches and non-profits are given support through the Professional Woman’s Group (PWG). Topics such as financial planning, illiteracy, stress management, and responsibility are covered. They will have access to a Career Center complete with a computer lab, where a vast array of services are offered. They are also given mentors through A Hand Up Coaching (AHUC) who help emotionally and mentally prepare them for their entrance into the workforce. In addition, when a client lands a career, she is given enough business attire and accessories to last her a week. A whole week of clothing!!
Can you imagine? Can you begin to understand how empowering this must feel to someone who may or may not be in her darkest, least confident hours? Who may or may not have children to take support. It just astonishes me that this organization was only found a mere 10 years ago, in 1997. And in that time, more than 300,000 woman have been assisted.
If you would like to get involved and bring that count even higher, there are many ways.
Here is information on donating your gently use business attire.
You can find out here how to become a mentor to a striving and empowered woman.
You can make a donation to Dress For Success, and brighten the future for impoverished woman of America.
You can also check out several of the other ways you can help out, such as volunteering or holding a suit drive in your neighborhood.
One of the quotes on the organizations website states, “Success is not only about getting a job; it’s about building a career.” And to me, success means even more. It’s the simple act of reminding a woman that she is capable of more than she ever could have imagine.
It’s not only a job; it’s confidence, it’s a future, it’s hope.
