Dress for Success Cincinnati was founded by Mary Ivers in 1999. Since the very beginning, it’s been our vision not only to provide assistance to women in need of appropriate clothing to interview for a job, but also to provide a stable, safe and caring environment for women as they reclaim their lives.
The mission of Dress for Success Cincinnati is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and development tools to help them thrive in work and in life. Our vision is a world where women do not live in poverty, are treated with dignity and respect and are strengthening their families and shaping their communities.
Our programs include StyleHER, in which we provide an appropriate outfit for a job interview; the Career Center, where clients can access career guidance and support; HigherHER, our career development program; and so much more.
Dress for Success Cincinnati offers a network of support, professional attire and development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. We also offer networking opportunities that might just lead to the chance to find forever friends.
Want to learn more? Read on to meet Tanisha, Dorene, Bonnie and Sandy to hear about how Dress for Success Cincinnati affected their lives.
Tanisha
Tanisha is a young woman on the move!
Tanisha came to Dress for Success Cincinnati having just earned her certificate in welding, a highly specialized skill much in demand, and plans to continue her work on her associate degree next. She needed clothes for a very special event and future job interviews.
How was her first experience with Dress for Success Cincinnati to be fitted with a professional outfit that matched her preferences and personality?
“My personal shopper listened to me, she didn’t pressure me. I would rate my personal shopper a 100 on a scale of 1-10. I usually don’t dress girly, but I’m happy with everything. She was the perfect stylist! After being suited, I felt beautiful and confident. I know I’m going to look good for my scholarship dinner,” says Tanisha.
We know you will, too, Tanisha. You’re on the road to success and all of us at Dress for Success Cincinnati wish you all the best.
Dorene
Dress for Success is where Dorene stopped being afraid—and began dreaming again.
Dorene’s life changed when she and her husband of 27 years relocated to Cincinnati to continue serving in ministry to people challenged from incarceration and a Women’s Discipleship ministry.
They thought the change was for the good, but Dorene’s husband became ill and was hospitalized multiple times. Dorene needed work and she needed it badly. After being a motivational speaker, an alcohol and drug counselor and a minister, she thought the marketplace would embrace her as an employee.
But everywhere she applied, she was told to change her resume and try to “re-invent” herself. Dorene says what they meant was, “You are outdated, change your antiquated style.” But how?
She did not qualify for unemployment. So it was imperative that the “re-inventing” begin.
Dorene still remembers how awful it felt the first time they had to apply for public assistance. How painful to give up their car because she couldn’t afford maintenance, insurance or gas.
One day while riding the bus a woman told Dorene about the Urban League, where Dorene was able to graduate from a six-week Urban League job program. And best of all, says Dorene, that’s where she learned about Dress for Success Cincinnati.
The Urban League referred Dorene to us to “shop at Dress for Success” and be outfitted for a job search.
No more antiquated style for Dorene! She says she thanks Dress for Success and her other resources for her turn around. “There is nothing like earning an honest living,” she says.
Dorene is now a widow, but she is still surrounded by care and support and a community at Dress for Success. Dorene says Dress for Success is where she stopped being afraid—and began dreaming again. She met women at Dress for Success who shared their stories and were accepted, not made to feel ashamed.
Dorene currently works at Barclays Bank call center in Hamilton. She also attends activities and educational meetings as part of our Professional Women’s Group, including participating as a model in our gala Fashion Show fundraiser several years ago and joining in the energy and excitement of our race team in the annual Queen Bee race.
Dorene says, “It is as though I began breathing again. I truly believe Dress for Success Cincinnati was made available to me so I could thrive in relationships, in the marketplace and in community.”
Bonnie & Sandy
A lasting dress led to a successful friendship.
Sandy came to DFSC in 2009. She was under-employed and looking for support in finding employment that would offer better sustainability. She joined Dress for Success’s Professional Women’s Group (PWG). Sandy says she was hoping to find a strong and supportive community of friends. She did that and more, eventually starting her own home health care business and winning an international Dress for Success Worldwide award for a community service program she created, executed and documented on video. Most recently, Sandy and another friend from PWG (also a former DFS Worldwide award winner!) have launched Sandy’s Elder Care, a company that serves to assist elderly family members attend life events, such as weddings, parties, etc., or to remain with them in their home should they not be able to attend.
Bonnie joined HigherHER in 2012 and PWG in 2013. Bonnie went from client to employment, taking advantage of our programs, and now she is giving back as a volunteer. Recovering from multiple injuries she suffered in an automobile collision, Bonnie came to us needing help finding a job and finding herself. Participating in our career readiness and development programs helped her find herself and a BFF! Now she comes to us when we need help, acting as a Dress for Success Ambassador and providing professional photography that helps document what we do to carry out our mission. Most recently, Bonnie was accepted into The Cincinnati Art Club and currently is working toward an exhibit in the spring/summer 2021.
Bonnie met Sandy at PWG in 2013. The two began chatting casually at PWG events, and after discovering they had a lot in common—Bonnie is a photographer and Sandy a videographer—they began seeking one another out and sitting together at the monthly events.
The bond between the two really deepened when they attended the 2016 Dress for Success Worldwide Success Summit in Chicago. The Success Summit is by invitation and is open to women in PWG who are on their way to becoming leaders and catalysts for change in their communities.
They flew to Chicago together and Bonnie says they talked about anything and everything on the trip out, from religion to politics to whether aliens existed. By the time they arrived back in Cincinnati, each woman knew they had a new close friend for life.
