Finding a job can be a difficult task for anyone, but for women who lack basic resources for job searching — like access to affordable professional attire, career counseling, and a support system — the task can seem impossible.
Dress for Success Pittsburgh has been helping women in five local counties overcome these obstacles since 2005. In 2019, Peoples was excited to make a donation to the organization to help fund two mobile boutiques that help bring career services to women wherever they are.
Based on the principle that women can achieve economic independence with a network of support, professional attire, and development tools to thrive in work and life, Dress for Success Pittsburgh offers a variety of services. From suiting, personal branding, thriving in the workplace, and connection resource centers, they work with women directly at their four brick-and-mortar branch locations in Allegheny, Butler, Fayette, and Washington and Greene Counties.
For many women, however, transportation to one of the service branches is just another roadblock on their paths to success. The addition of the North and South Region mobile boutiques, which provide all the same services as the brick-and-mortar locations, are helping to break down these barriers one event at a time.
Since their launch in late August 2019, the Dress for Success mobile boutiques reached over 600 women at events through the end of the year.
“Every event makes an impact and the mobile boutique service has been high,” said Dress for Success Pittsburgh CEO Tanya Vokes Mallory said. “Receiving services onsite makes a world of difference for many women who may not otherwise be able to access us.”
The company is evolving every day to meet the needs of local women. Since its inception, Dress for Success Pittsburgh has served over 30,000 women, and they helped over 4,000 last year alone. And there’s no sign of slowing down. This year, they will be launching a new opportunity for donors and corporate partners to support women in receiving a year’s worth of services, along with informal mentoring and networking experiences.
Dress for Success is a company that is constantly growing, and always looking for new ways to make a positive impact in women’s lives. Peoples is honored to help this organization expand its services and enable more women to break the cycle of poverty.
Looking to Give Back?
If you would like to contribute to the mission of Dress for Success Pittsburgh, you can make a donation online. Dress for Success is also happy to welcome new volunteers. You will need to attend one of their quarterly volunteer information sessions to learn more and to tour the facilities. Dates and times for those sessions are listed on their website.