A Latham custom home storage company is helping a worldwide nonprofit group kick off the opening of its Albany branch to serve the Capital District.
Dress For Success provides interview-appropriate attire and helps bolster the interviewing skills of low-income women looking to land their dream jobs.
A Latham California Closets franchise, which provides custom closet and storage systems for the home, is hosting a Clean Out Your Closet event Thursday, Nov. 1, to welcome the organization.
California Closets co-owner Joy Rafferty, a businesswomen herself, jumped at the opportunity to welcome the organization to the area, she said.
This time of year, people start thinking about storing their clothing for the winter. For me as a businesswomen, it seemed like a good organization to help, and we have a lot of customers we can reach to help, said Rafferty.
Dress for Success opened for business in Albany on Wednesday, Oct. 24. The organization will operate as a program under the Albany Community Action Partnership, said Kathy Cloutie,r partnership executive director.
The partnership was able to bring in Dress for Success with the help of a $20,000 county grant and a $5,000 grant from the Alice Moore Foundation.
The foundation supports programs that address the impact of enslavement, incarceration, poverty, and/or racism on disenfranchised people of color, according to the Web site.
`California Closets came to us. Joy had thought of an idea of cleaning out your closets and finding a place to donate your clothing,` said Cloutier. `This whole thing is about women getting back to work. We are hoping to see 100 to 200 women in our first year and continue to grow on that.`
At first, the Albany chapter will address the needs of Albany County, but it will eventually reach out to neighboring communities to continue the organization’s efforts, said Cloutier.
California Closets is asking for all sorts and sizes of suits and other professional apparel. They ask that the suits be contemporary and work appropriate.
Suits can be brought to California Closets Showroom at Peter Harris Plaza, Troy Schenectady Road in Latham on Thursday, Nov. 1, from noon to 8 p.m.
Dress for Success serves clients from a diverse group of nonprofit and government agencies including homeless shelters, immigration services, job training programs, educational institutions and domestic violence shelters, according to the organization’s Web site.
The organization fits a woman with a suit appropriate for the industry in which she is interviewing and, if available, accessories. After she finds a job, she returns to Dress for Success for additional clothing that can be mixed and matched to make several outfits, providing her with the foundation for a professional wardrobe.“