Do you have a business suit that you'd like to get out of your closet? Pairs of hose that you got during the holidays and never opened? You can donate these items to organizations that help abused, disadvantaged or homeless women find well-paying jobs. Your suit can help a woman get a job interview.
Selecting Clothing to Donate
Unlike thrift stores, organizations that look for business clothing for women to wear for a job interview and at work take very specific kinds of clothing. Dress for Success, for example, takes suits and separates, solid blouses, closed-toed and low-heeled shoes, unused underwear and cosmetics, attaché cases and unopened hosiery. It does not take evening wear, jewelry that is not work appropriate or men's clothing. Dry clean or wash all clothing that you plan on donating. Check each organization's website for what it needs. In general, do not donate anything excessively worn, not clean or not work appropriate. Keep in mind that sizes 14 and up are often in greatest need.
Where to Donate
Dress for Success gives disadvantaged women the skills they need to get back on their feet. It helps women in need find jobs, and an important part of this is providing women with professional attire. When a woman seeks its services, she is provided an outfit for the interview. If she gets the job, she may return for different outfits that can be mixed and matched for work wear. Located in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the Netherlands, Dress for Success has helped more than 450,000 women since 1997, according to its website.
Local organizations also collect clothing for women seeking jobs. In Southeastern Philadelphia, women can go to the The Working Wardrobe for career wear. Check local organizations to see if one specifically seeks work clothing.
Women's shelters for homeless women and victims of domestic violence often look for work-appropriate attire for women who need new jobs and a fresh start on life. Organizations like Safe Place in Austin, Texas, and the Women's Resource Center for Domestic Violence in Atlanta often need work clothing for women.
If there are no organizations nearby that specifically seek work clothing for women, try contacting local churches, synagogues and other religious groups. Many religious congregations conduct community outreach that helps women get back on their feet. Also try donating to thrift stores that specifically exist to provide job support for homeless, disadvantaged or abused women.
Tags: clothing women, Dress Success, work clothing, back their, back their feet, helps women
