About The Career Wardrobe

Thanks to the support from our sponsors:

BNY Mellon

PA WORKWEAR

PEW Charitable Trusts

Patricia Kind Family Foundation

Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation

SAP America

The Philadelphia Foundation

United Way of SEPA

W.W. Smith Charitable Trust

Wachovia Foundation

Women's Way

Brodsky Family Foundation

Dow Chemical Company

Fourjay Foundation

J. Jill Compassion Fund

Merck and Co.

Morgan Stanley Foundation

TJX Foundation

Thomas Skelton Harrison Foundation

US Airways

The Career Wardrobe's success relies on the generous donations of individuals, foundations, corporations and organizations from across the Delaware Valley.

Our Mission

The Career Wardrobe is the nation’s largest community-based non-profit organization serving women transitioning into the workforce by providing professional attire and innovative educational programs. Since 1995, The Career Wardrobe has assisted over 50,000 women by inspiring the confidence necessary to achieve independence.

The Career Wardrobe’s Gateway to Success Seminars and Professional Women’s Network, provide educational and networking opportunities for women to help them retain employment and develop a successful career plan.

HISTORY

The Career Wardrobe was founded in 1995 by local women who wanted to help "bridge the gap" between job training and employment for low-income women in the Philadelphia Community. The organization hired its first Executive Director, Sheri Cole, in 2000 and now employs a staff of 7 and army of volunteers to help more than 7,500 women annually transition into the workforce. With a Dressing Suite located on Chestnut Street in Center City Philadelphia, The Career Wardrobe is able to assist women from throughout the Philadelphia region.

The Wardrobe is planning to expand in 2009 by opening a second Dressing Suite and Resale Store to meet the growing demand for our services and help make the organization more self-sufficient by reselling donated clothing that is not suitable for our program. The organization's successful annual event, A Perfect Fit: Fashioning Futures for Women, will also expand in 2009, moving to a larger venue - The Park Hyatt at the Bellvue -so we can continue to raise money and awareness for our critical services.

The Career Wardrobe is a founding member of The Women's Alliance, a national coalition of nonprofit organizations that provide career clothing and skills to women transitioning to work. Our program has won numerous awards and is supported by key officials, including Mayor Michael Nutter.

The Career Wardrobe was proud to be named a Champion in Action for its workforce development programs by Citizens Bank, NBC10 and Philly.com in 2008. The award came with a $25,000 grant and publicity outreach by all partners.
In October 2007, the New Century Trust surprised The Wardrobe with an $18,000 Willing Hands Award recognizing our work to improve the lives of women and girls.

NUMBER OF WOMEN SERVED

The Career Wardrobe has outfitted over 50,000 women since our first client walked through the door in December 1995.

60% of women served by The Career Wardrobe report securing employment
60% are working full-time, with 40% earning over $11/hour and some earning salaries as high as $20/hour
54% receive a job offer within 2 interviews after receiving professional clothing and consultation
30% are successful in finding clerical and office administration jobs and 20% in the health care industry, which are jobs with the greatest opportunity for advancement in our region

2007-08 Program Statistics:

Over 5,000 women benefited from our unique services with 60% reporting that they successfully found employment!
3,003 women received that perfect interview outfit that will help to raise their self-esteem, a 12% increase from 2007.
2,057 women received free cosmetics to compliment their outfit through our new Beauty Basics program, a 72% increase thanks to your generous donations!
1,993 women (and a few men) attended our educational programs, including the signature Gateway to Success Personal and Professional Development Seminars, a 19% increase in demand.
633 women (30%) returned to The Wardrobe after becoming employed to take advantage of our monthly clothing sales to augment and build their new wardrobes on a budget, a 40% increase.
275 women had their resumes reviewed by human resource professionals through our new Client Help Desk and Power Hour programs.

PROGRAMMING INITIATIVES

The Career Wardrobe is continually striving to expanding our services in order to provide the job readiness support our clients need. Current program initiatives include:

Dressing and Image Consultation: Women become eligible for our unique Dressing and Image Consultation services by being referred by a job training program, domestic violence or other social service agency. Each woman receives and individual appointment and can receive up to a week’s worth of clothing, including a suit and accessories for her job search.
Gateway to Success Education Program: Through educational programming, The Career Wardrobe assists participants with the workplace skills that are necessary to retain employment and advance in their new jobs and careers. Topics include: communication skills, business etiquette, goal setting, and financial and time management.
Resume Review and Interview Assistance: Through our Client Help Desk and Job Search Power Hour, participants have the opportunity to meet one-on-one to receive feedback on their resumes and gain insight into the interviewing process from hiring managers and human resource professionals. Our goal is to help them present a professional image both on paper and in person.
Beauty Basics: At the end of each appointment, participants receive a Beauty Basics gift bag filled with sample beauty products and instruction booklet so that they can recreate their new, professional look at home before their job interview.
Professional Women’s Network: The Professional Women’s Network provides an on-going forum for alumni of The Career Wardrobe to receive support and inspiration from their peers as they continue their job search or start in their new careers.
TrustScripts partnership: The Career Wardrobe partners with TrustScripts to provide discount prescription cards to families in the Philadelphia region. Download yours by visiting our TrustScripts page.