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Last updated on September 18, 2007

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.
Founded in New York City in 1997, Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization offering services designed to help our clients find a job and remain employed. Each Dress for Success client receives one suit when she has a job interview and can return for a second suit or separates when she finds work.

Description:
Dress for Success serves clients by referral only, and women must have an interview scheduled before receiving clothing. Our clients come to us from a continually expanding and diverse group of non-profit and government agencies.
On her initial visit a woman receives a suit appropriate for the industry in which she is interviewing and, if available, accessories. After a woman finds a job, she returns to Dress for Success for additional clothing that can be mixed and matched to make several outfits, providing her with the foundation for a professional wardrobe.
While we may be best known for providing suits to women, it is our employment retention programs that are the cornerstone of the organization. Soon after Dress for Success was founded, we came to recognize that finding a job is only one step in a woman's journey towards economic independence; remaining employed and building a rewarding career are equally important.
To meet the need for services that would help women both find and keep jobs, we established the Professional Women's Group (PWG) program, which provides ongoing support to enable women to successfully transition into the workforce, build thriving careers and prosper in the mainstream workplace. Once a woman joins PWG she is a member for life, able to attend meetings at any affiliate throughout the world and can benefit from additional employment retention and mentoring programs.
Dress for Success also has developed Career Center, an initiative that promotes confidence and professionalism by offering women career guidance, the chance to acquire technology skills and assistance in their job searches.

History:
Dress for Success was founded in 1997 by Nancy Lublin, with a $5,000 inheritance from her great grandfather. A law student, new to New York City, she founded the organization with help from 3 nuns from Spanish Harlem, who each ran public service programs. Together, they built Dress for Success New York into a vibrant organization that assisted women from all over the greater New York area. Since 1997, Dress for Success has served almost 300,000 women around the world. Each year we reach more than 40,000 women in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Contact people:

Ky Shabazz, Branch Manager, (718) 949-7179, (email) Jocelyn Greene, Program Coordinator, (718) 949-7179, (email)

Office fax number: (718) 949-7396

Address:

116-06 Merrick Blvd Jamaica, NY 11435 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.dressforsuccess.org

Directions:

Take the E, J, or Z trains to Parsons/Archer Blvd (last stop). Walk up to street level to bus depot, and then take either the Q84, Q85, or Q5 to 116th st and Merrick Blvd. The shop is located directly in front of bus stop.   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: E, J, Z,   Walk distance (in minutes): 35   Nearest Bus Stop: Q85, Q84, Q5, 0 minute walk

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