FILLING THE SUCCESS CLOSET
Frenchman’s Creek residents give clothes to female job-seekers.
Judy Petricoff ’s vexing attempt to tame her crowded closet in her Frenchman’s Creek home evolved into a community-wide effort to outfit women with professional clothing.
Residents of the Palm Beach Gardens community filled a large moving truck with women’s attire for Dress for Success Palm Beaches in two days, said Petricoff, who organized the collection with Myrna Hill.
A phone call to Dress for Success Palm Beaches Executive Director Mary Hart sparked a new partnership.
“Within 48 hours, we had the whole event planned,” Petricoff said. “Myrna and I were getting calls left and right.”
Evelyn & Arthur in Palm Beach Gardens heard about the drive and donated 100 tops and 100 pairs of pants. Viktoria Hayman, a local artist whose contemporary jewelry sells at Neiman Marcus, contributed necklaces, bracelets and earrings.
Hart emphasizes it’s not just about the clothes. The international organization’s mission is to empower women to financial independence by providing professional support, clothing and development.
There’s a transformation in the women’s demeanor from when they walk in the dressing room and when they come out, she said. Each is assigned a personal shopper to help her find the outfit she needs for her interview.
If the client gets the job, she can return to the career center to pick out a wardrobe for a week. The outfits are provided at no cost. The women must be referred by an approved Palm Beach County nonprofit agency.
D r e s s f o r S u c c e s s P a l m Beaches also offers t wo job readiness programs. One targets young women aging out of foster care, and the other is for underemployed or unemployed women 25 and older.
The residents made the donation the week after Thanksgiving.