20-year-old Career Wardrobe is upscaling and expanding services
July 9, 2015 Category: MethodNow in its 20th year of services to women, Career Wardrobe recently announced that it would be co-locating with its successful 5-year old upscale resale shop The Wardrobe Boutique at 1822 Spring Garden Street in the fall.
The nonprofit, which has traditionally provided programs to women in transition, is also expanding its services to ensure that more people, including men and underemployed women, have access to services they need to transition to sustainable employment.
Combining locations also means Career Wardrobe will have a 9,000-square-foot space that includes both an office and boutique dressing space for men and women. In addition, two of the programs Career Wardrobe piloted in the spring will become permanent: the Open Access Program and Make It Work for Men dressing program.
The Open Access Program allows any unemployed woman, including students and the newly unemployed, are able to receive a professional outfit, resume review services and job search advice from the organization for a small fee.
The Make It Work for Men pilot allowed six partner agencies to refer unemployed men, many who were either homeless or returning to the community after incarceration. In the new location, men will have their own dressing suite separate from the women’s boutique, and the organization will provide full professional outfits for men, including shoes and pants, which Career Wardrobe couldn’t provide at its current location.
“This is more than just a move,” said Executive Director Sheri Cole in a press release. “It solidifies our agency as an innovative social enterprise that uses clothing to empower women and men to transition to employment. As a Philadelphia-based organization, we base our programming on what our community needs. For the last few years, we have seen that our community needs access to services regardless of their income level or public benefit status.”
Image via Career Wardrobe