"Know Your Org" is an informational series designed to spotlight some of the wonderful organizations in our community. This month, we are highlighting Dress for Success.
Dress for Success is a global organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing professional attire, developmental tools and a network of support. The Michigan location has been around for 26 years and was established by Cathleen Taylor. Providing these services was a personal mission of Cathleen, drawn from her own life experiences.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Cathleen Taylor’s granddaughter, Tierra Tafoya, to gain more insight into the services Dress for Success Michigan provides. Tafoya has been the organization’s Chief Operations Officer for the past two years. Her role includes facilitating workshops, collecting donations and aiding in providing other services.
Services
Dress for Success Michigan provides developmental tools to aid women from all walks of life in thriving in the workplace and everyday life, no matter their economic background. These tools include clothing and workshops or events that focus on resume-building, mentoring, career coaching, financial literacy, domestic violence and mental health wellness.
Tafoya informed us that “some people don’t know that in recent years we have been providing men’s clothing as well.” Although the Dress for Success mission has traditionally been tailored to women, the services mentioned above are available to men as well.
Dress for Success Michigan hosts a shopping spree once a month that is not limited to clothing. The shopping sprees are $20 for 15 items. These items include clothing, makeup, accessories, personal hygiene products and more.
Many may not know that Dress for Success Michigan provides clothing not only for professional wear but also for funerals and weddings. This attire is provided mainly on a referral basis, but those looking for this service could also fill out an intake form.
Get Involved
Dress for Success Michigan always needs volunteers, and there are many ways to get involved. If you have experience and knowledge relevant to the organization's services and events that you would like to share and teach others, you can facilitate a workshop.
If you can’t lead a workshop, you can volunteer to support events or organize inventory, as there are many donations to go through. Monetary donations can also be made through the organization's website.
Contact
Dress for Success Michigan is located on the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital campus at 5361 McAuley Drive, Suite 1125, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. The best place to park is parking lot F.
Drop-offs for donations must be scheduled. You can call the office throughout the week to schedule drop-offs or make other inquiries. Their office number is 734-712-0517. Inquiries can also be made via email to michigan@dressforsuccess.org. To keep up with the organization’s events, visit their website’s event page or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @dressforsuccessmichigan.
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