Dress For Success Lexington KY
Our Vision
The mission of Dress for Success Lexington KY 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.
Our Purpose
“we are about much more than simply a new outfit”
Our purpose is to offer long-lasting solutions that enable women to break the cycle of poverty. Dress for Success Lexington is part of a global network of Dress for Success Worldwide affiliates working toward a movement for change, empowering women to obtain safer and better futures.
We provide each client with professional attire to secure employment, but we are about much more than simply a new outfit. Besides physically equipping the client with apparel and accessories, our programs furnish her with a confidence that she carries forever and the knowledge that she can actively define her life, the direction she takes and what success means to her.
Our Beliefs
Every woman has the right to realize her full potential and achieve financial independence in a more egalitarian world. We believe that with the proper education, tools and action this world is possible.
Poverty often affects women the most, and its effects on them and their families can be long-lasting. Therefore, addressing women’s needs is central to improving the quality of life for not only that woman but also her family, future generations and her community. In fact, recognizing the significant role of women in economic development is the smart thing to do, as well as being socially and morally right.
We believe that achieving gender equality is imperative to developing a sustainable and just world for all, which is possible by acknowledging the crucial role that women play in the world economy.
We believe that by building up a woman’s agency and knowledge, better synergies between gender equality and economic sustainability are realized, enabling her to generate a long-term impact in both her private and public life.
Our Story
Dress for Success Worldwide, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, was founded in New York City in 1997 as an answer to the needs of low-income women seeking employment and self-sufficiency. Over the past 17 years, Dress for Success® has grown into a thriving international not-for-profit organization that has supported more than 775,000 disadvantaged women at over 138 affiliates worldwide. More than 65,000 clients are served each year throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the West Indies.
Dress for Success Lexington was founded in April of 2013 by two Lexington women eager to bring the services and career development opportunities offered by Dress for Success® to women in the Lexington community. Since that time, the organization has served 150 women and counting through our Suiting program and Career Center.
Women come to Dress for Success® Lexington by referral only from community-based social service agencies and non-profit organizations. An individual appointment is set up, and each woman is paired with a stylist consultant who selects a business suit for the job interview and introduces them to the Career Center. When she successfully lands the job, she returns for an “Employment Suiting” consisting of a week’s worth of additional job appropriate attire.
The suit is just the beginning of how we help women thrive in work and life. Once a woman has been suited by Dress for Success® Lexington, she is given access to the Career Center which offers critical tools essential to retaining her job and advancing in today’s highly competitive workforce. The women can take part in mock-interviews and resume building in their first visit and can find economic independence through relevant career workshops, one-on-one job coaching and computer access.
By providing a strong, committed network of professional men and women who are willing to share their insights and experiences, Dress for Success Lexington helps women secure and maintain gainful employment. We know that the positive impact a new job will create for a client not only affects her, but it makes a difference to her family and community as well. With your help, we will be able to serve more women in Lexington and the surrounding area.
For more information, please visit their website at: lexington.dressforsuccess.org
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