I was cleaning out my closet the other day and noticed that I hadn’t worn a few particular ‘grown-up outfits’ (ok, really they were business suits, which at my current job at TDS I don’t need as we have a business casual dress code). I asked myself, “Who can I give these to?”

I went through a mental checklist:

• My sister? No, that won’t work as she’s expecting a baby in January.
• My sister-in-law? Not likely—she’s an elementary teacher and she doesn’t dress up quite like this.
• My friends? Is it weird to ask them to take my clothes?
• Dress for Success? YEP! Got it!

What is Dress for Success, you ask? It’s an organization that promotes 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.

Dress for Success serves clients by referral only, and women must have an interview scheduled before receiving clothing. The clients come from a continually expanding and diverse group of non-profit and government agencies including homeless shelters, immigration services, job training programs, educational institutions and domestic violence shelters, among many other organizations. Almost 5,000 organizations throughout the world send women to Dress for Success for professional apparel and career development services.

How can you help?

Donate to Dress for Success
Make a donation to benefit disadvantaged women in your local community by finding out your nearest affiliate location.

Become a Sponsor
There are numerous ways that companies and other institutions can partner with Dress for Success. Learn more about the numerous sponsorship opportunities available to corporations and other supporters.

Volunteer at Dress for Success
Dress for Success is a volunteer-driven organization and needs assistance with a range of tasks and projects. Visit the Support Dress for Success Volunteer page to get involved.

Hold a suit drive
Anyone looking to support Dress for Success should consider holding a suit drive. These campaigns are a terrific way to help women and to share your passion for Dress for Success with your co-workers or friends.

Participate in S.O.S.— Send One Suit — Weekend
Each year, Dress for Success holds a national suit drive in the United States. S.O.S. – Send One Suit – Weekend is a great opportunity to share your professional attire with a woman returning to or entering the workforce. You can participate in this effort even if you do not have a Dress for Success in your community—Dressbarn’s 800 stores nationwide serve as drop-off sites. For more details, visit the S.O.S. Weekend page.

Like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, etc.
Join Dress for Success’ growing online community on some of your favorite social networking websites.

So…what will you do with your extra suits?