Dress For Success

I have heard about Dress for Success of Southern Nevada for years, but finally got my chance to be a part of this great organization.
A colleague of mine is on the board, and had long ago asked me to volunteer, but I had trouble connecting with the organization. Dress for Success got a new volunteer coordinator Jodi about 3 months ago, and the org had a booth at the District during the open house in late October. There, I signed up for a volunteer orientation.
I was in invited to the orientation last Saturday at the boutique, just east of Valley View off Desert Inn. Jodi talked about the history of the organization and the different roles volunteers have. Women are referred to Dress for Success through many (nearly 30) other agencies. 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.
We watched a video which showcased national board members Bobbi Brown and Iman. Women come in for career help, professional clothing, and mentoring/​networking programs. The boutique at the front is beautifully designed and merchandised so women coming in have a high-​end, personalized experience. The organization also takes donations of dry cleaned, pre-​worn professional clothing. It is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and operated by volunteers.
Volunteers are in charge of sorting donations, steaming clothing, organizing the clothing racks… you can volunteer to be an Image Consultant to help women individually choose interview suits, or if they achieved employment, one to two weeks’ worth of mix and match professional work wear. This past week, women also came in for holiday dresses for their office parties.
The organization also provides resume and cover letter help as well as mock interviews. Volunteers can do these things, volunteer at the front desk, or even be a key holder to the store. There is also a Professional Women’s Group (PWG) that meets monthly for employed women, which is a mentoring/​networking group that brings in speakers to discuss various relevant topics. Along with all of these opportunities, there is a Little Black Dress organization ($ 25 per month donation plus a LBD plaque on the wall for the first 100 LBD members) and committees to organize different organizational aspects (fundraising, PWG, events, etc.) It is a really neat organization.
I signed up to help with career development and speak at PWG events. I already had the pleasure of helping a woman prepare for an interview which led to her employment last week, and we are meeting next week for a mock interview. I encourage you to contact Jodi or the office to attend a volunteer orientation and see how you can contribute to the success of women in Southern Nevada with your talents!