Friday, June 5, 2015

"Dress Right, Dress!"

                                                               

"Dress right, dress!"

That's an order on the drill field for military grunts. It means, while standing in formation, turning your head to the right, look down the line, and align yourself up so the line is straight. That motto ought to be the program title for some wonderful women are doing here in Phoenix. 


A bunch of good-hearted women started a program back in 2009 and called it "Dress For Success." The program is so simple one wonders why no one ever thought of it before. Dress For Success solicits professional clothing donations, from professional women already in the work place, and clothing stores throughout the community. 

They then established wardrobe centers where impoverished women could come, be fitted for professional attire, including shoes and accessories, then coached on how to score a winning job interview. 

The program has been a spectacular success. Dress for Success now has over 130 wardrobe centers throughout the county and are now nationwide and world wide, having 140 centers in 19 countries and they have helped over 4,000 women in Phoenix get jobs,, 850,000 world wide.

Single mothers on welfare, wives who've had to be the breadwinner for an unemployed husband, newly widowed women left to fend for themselves alone have all been helped. They all say that, being coached in how to professionally dress, and coached on good work place practices, have given them confidence to succeed.

And Dress for Success is not a one time benefit. Each woman is given 5 business outfits per year, and can come in for career counseling whenever they feel the need.

More and more women are donating to the cause. They walk into their closet, look at a dress or pantsuit that they rarely wear, and donate to the cause. They also shop and donate as well.

And Phoenix just recently upped the ante. Yesterday they started a mobile Dress For Success operation. Someone donated an old RV and volunteers gutted it and turned it into a mobile wardrobe center for women who don't have the means to get to one of their regular centers.

And you'll be pleased to know that not a single taxpayer dollar has been spent getting these 4,000 women off of welfare. Dress for Success folks do not tolerate self--pity, or feed the concept of "victimhood". They are all about instilling confidence and pride in a job well done.

"Dress right, Dress indeed!

6 comments:

Unknown said...

The government likes its people dependent, programs like this that circumvent and eventually negate taxpayer aid must be a real thorn in the side of politicians.
Look how many women won't need welfare due to this. I applaud the people behind this.

A Modest Scribler said...

Yes, Brian, any hint of independence and personal responsibility is frowned up by our government masters. Nice to see some who won't listen.

Frank K said...

Why can't they do the same thing for the men of this Country? Our Governments heads would explode if all of a sudden everyone became self sufficient. Wouldn't that just be a shame.

A Modest Scribler said...

Perhaps they do, Frank. I'm not aware of any programs like this for men except for the work the Salvation Army does. Good idea!

Carol said...

Thank you for posting this! I will definitely be donating to this excellent cause. What a fantastic program!!!

A Modest Scribler said...

You're welcome, Carol.