Kaitlin Burkhardt smiles after her suiting by personal shopper volunteer Nancy Musco at Dress for Success Mercer County’s Suits for Sandy event Feb. 15 and 16, 2013.
Volunteers from Dress for Success Mercer County loaded their cars with business clothing, shoes and laptop computers and headed to Christ Episcopal Church in Toms River for Suits for Sandy on Feb. 15 and 16.
At the event, 23 volunteers helped 20 women from Ocean and Monmouth counties who lost their belongings in Hurricane Sandy and are ready to get back to work.
Women attending Suits for Sandy were offered free resume and interviewing advice with career counselors, as well as professional customized suiting and make-up tips from Mary-Kay consultants.
Dress for Success Mercer County executive director Lorrie Klaric said in a statement she hopes the services provided at Suits for Sandy helps the women gain confidence in reentering the work force.
“Our mission is to support women in need with a network of support – including personalized career tools and business attire. Our team found a way to turn the devastating circumstances into a positive way to give back to the community,” Klaric said in a statement.
The College of New Jersey student and Dress for Success volunteer Beth Dempsey said her goal is to give women who were devastated by Hurricane Sandy a fun suiting experience.
“The women we saw at Suits for Sandy were different from Dress for Success Mercer County’s typical client. They may have had a home, employment and an established career, but because of Hurricane Sandy lost something or everything,” Dempsey said.
The organization is celebrating health and fitness of women during Mother’s Day weekend.
Dress for Success Mercer County’s Power Walk is scheduled for May 11 at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Hopewell Campus in Pennington. The 5K Walk begins at 9 a.m. and the 5K Fun Run starts at 10:30 a.m. The event includes fitness activities, a health fair, a kids’ corner, Mother’s day flower sale, music and entertainment. The individual walker fee is $25.
Dress for Success Mercer County is one of 127 affiliates worldwide that aims to helping women in six counties achieve confidence and success in the workplace. They provide services in professional attire, resume writing, interview coaching, career counseling, job retention and career advancement skills in six counties.
More information is online at dressforsuccess.org/mercercounty.
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