Thunderbirds Charities has awarded a generous $25,000 grant to Dress for Success Phoenix to support its Mobile Career Center initiative. Dress for Success Phoenix is a nonprofit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and the development tools to help them thrive in work and in life. Thunderbirds Charities is a nonprofit organization that distributes monies raised through the WM Phoenix Open, with a specific focus on improving quality of life in Greater Metro Phoenix.
Now more than ever, Dress for Success Phoenix is seeing an increased need for its services. “The effects of COVID-19 have drastically impacted women in the workplaces, which now leaves us in the midst of the first female global recession,” stated Tamala McBath, CEO of Dress for Success Phoenix.
Globally women’s job losses due to the pandemic are 1.8 times greater than men’s, and nearly
70% of women who have experienced COVID-19-related disruptions are concerned about their ability to progress in their careers.
“The generous grant from the Thunderbirds Charities will make a significant, life-changing impact for hundreds of women throughout the Valley on their journey to thrive in work and life,” said McBath.
Dress for Success Phoenix aims to help more than 1,000 women become job ready in 2022 through its Mobile Career Center, which has a track record of successfully empowering local women to get the job they want, moving them one step closer to self-sufficiency and personal fulfillment. While Dress for Success Phoenix has proven services to help women find employment, many lack the transportation or flexibility in their schedules to visit the organization’s boutique in South Phoenix during business hours.
The Mobile Career Center addresses these barriers by bringing services out into neighborhoods. Thoughtfully customized with two computer stations, two fitting rooms, and racks of professional clothing, the center allows Dress for Success Phoenix to bring career coaching and interview-appropriate attire directly to the women who need them most, typically into underserved, low-income communities throughout the Valley. The suiting program provides each client with a one-on-one, highly trained volunteer personal shopper, who assists the client in selecting professional attire appropriate for job interviews. Next, the career center takes the clients’ job readiness ‘beyond the suit’ to improve their chances of successfully securing work in a competitive job market. Staff members work one-on-one with clients to provide career counseling, creation of résumés and cover letters, conduct mock interviews, share job search techniques, and facilitate access to its professional skills training course.
The Mobile Career Center is just one of many programs by Dress for Success Phoenix that help women overcome challenges for every phase of their personal or professional journey, whether they are a job seeker, an employed professional or someone ready to be a leader in their community. Through first-in-class partnerships, Dress for Success Phoenix offers outcome-driven programs to ensure women are getting hired, being promoted, receiving well-earned raises, networking with other professional women, and gaining control of their finances.
This grant is part of the Fall 2021 cycle. View a list of all Recent Grantees.