Primped, Prepped
They say Cinderella is proof that a pair of shoes can change a woman's life.
Dress for Success Pittsburgh may not be distributing glass slippers and ball gowns, but it offers women the next best thing: resources for entering or re-entering the work force.
“We work to empower women,” said Liz Mims, director of operations and client services. “(It's) part of a global community.”
Closet half full
The nonprofit organization, which has a Butler location in the Holly Pointe Building, prepares women for the workplace in a number of ways.
By collaborating with groups such as Butler County Community College and Robin's Home, Dress for Success offers free resources for career readiness.
Then, of course, there's the clothes.
“It's never just about that,” Mims said. “It's a part of it, but it's just the start of it.”
Things like scrubs and construction boots can be expensive for women who are just starting a new job.With the help of donations, corporate donors and fundraisers, Dress for Success is able to provide women with a spectrum of clothing and personal care items.Aliza Abrams is from Cabot. A month and a half ago, she moved back to Butler County from Florida after a job opportunity didn't work out.Having to sell her belongings to make the move meant Abrams needed to start over when it came to her wardrobe. She was referred to Dress for Success by Catholic Charities.“Things are looking up for me,” Abrams said.Personal shopperLike many women, Abrams must follow a dress code for her job.Erram Ahmed, a client services coordinator in the Butler office, helped outfit her with professional attire.“(We do) anything that we can do for the clients,” Ahmed said.
On Thursday, Abrams received a bag of clothes for her new position at a local hotel.She also received two bags of personal care products, casual clothes and accessories.Clothes may not make the woman, but they can go a long way to boosting her confidence.“I didn't expect that much,” Abrams said. “I'm very thankful.”If a piece of clothing doesn't work for a client, Ahmed said the client is welcome to let Dress for Success know.But the goal is to prepare every woman as much as possible.The doors are open to anyone who identifies as a woman, according to Mims.“We try to limit the hoops that women have to jump through,” Mims said. “There's already enough hoops.”
One size fits allClient demographics change from month to month, at least in Butler County.Sometimes, Mims said the Butler office will see lots of women in the “transition age” — those 18 to 23 years old. Other times, the majority of clients will be middle-aged.But there's one thing these women have in common.“They are on a journey to economic independence,” Mims said.Mims said with an estimated 12 million jobs lost by women from February to April 2020, Dress for Success has not stopped serving women.Instead, it adapted.The organization shifted to no-contact services, with a “personal styling experience” for women by phone.Organization workers collect and bag items for clients, who then come by the Butler office for pickup.Dress for Success is also ramping up mobile services, which use partner locations to be more accessible to women.Customer serviceMims said she believes client services have never been better than they are now.
Abrams agrees. She said with Ahmed, she felt like a friend instead of a client.“She made me feel comfortable,” Abrams said. “They don't judge you.”More than 30,000 women have used the organization over the past 15 years.When the Pittsburgh affiliate of Dress for Success started in 2005, the organization helped 69 women that first year. In 2019, it helped 4,000 women.Those numbers where lower in 2020 — about 2,000 fewer clients — but Mims said the organization anticipates a surge this year in the number of women returning to work.Despite everything, the pandemic has provided many women with unique opportunities in the workplace.Even Dress for Success has seen that.Mims said the organization has hosted 11 virtual internships during the pandemic, leading to the development of a virtual connection center.After all, Dress for Success is more than a supplier of shoes and dresses.“It's not just the clothing,” Mims said. “It's the connection.”
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