Self-employment
Program gives low-income women the opportunity to dress for successSuits to a TWomen in need of business suits have been referred to Dress for Success in Vancouver since 1999 and in Halifax since 2001. Before that, these women would take what little money they had and see what they could find at the Salvation Army and other second-hand clothing stores. Now they have an opportunity to wear fashionable clothes. LORRAYNE ANTHONY |
|
 [ 2005-04-09 ] |
To find out, take this test by eCareerFit, the career assessment experts.
Nancy Toran Harbin, the founder and executive director of Face, a clothing bank where women are outfitted in fashionable businesswear, got the idea after lending needy clients some business suits from her own wardrobe. -- Aaron Harris, CP
But she wondered what happened to these women when they left the court system and tried to enter the workforce in an attempt to rebuild their lives.
"I found there was this huge gap in services where women could get casual clothes but they couldn't get business clothes ... and women's business suits are so expensive," said Toran Harbin. "I thought to myself: 'I have clothes, my girlfriends have clothes -- why don't we just try a clothing bank?' "
So in the basement of her husband's medical practice, she set up FACE (Family Abuse Crisis Exchange) in 1992. Now FACE has a location in the tony Yorkdale Mall in North Toronto. Aligning itself with the New York-based clothing bank Dress for Success, FACE's idea of outfitting low-income women in fashionable businesswear has spread to Vancouver and Halifax.
Women in need of business suits have been referred to Dress for Success in Vancouver since 1999 and in Halifax since 2001. Before that, these women would take what little money they had and see what they could find at the Salvation Army and other second-hand clothing stores. Now they have an opportunity to wear fashionable clothes.
"We have a very good donor base. We are very fortunate because our clothing is very high end -- we have fabulous, branded suits that could cost $200 to $300 if you went out and bought them," said Maria Tendencia, program co-ordinator for Dress for Success Halifax, who receives gently used clothing from other business women in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Newfoundland.
But it's not just individual business women who donate their clothes. Often law firms and big businesses will have clothing drives and donate their collection. Stores donate as well, as do top fashion designers including Brian Bailey, Sunny Choi, David Dixon and Franco Mirabelli.
Borrowed clothes
After finally having enough courage to leave an abusive marriage, Torontonian Linda Parolin found herself a working single mom who had an alcohol problem. After rehab, she was sober but unemployed. She went out on job interviews borrowing clothes from a neighbour and sometimes borrowing money so she could rummage through the offerings at second-hand clothing stores.
Are you aware of substance abuse in your workplace?