Dress for Success Triangle NC
Soroptimist's Professional Clothing Closet is now the Dress for Success Triangle NC—Raleigh Branch. It continues to be our signature project. Read more about this merged operation. Please see below for more history about the Closet.
Career Center Services
The Career Center for Raleigh is being launched in February 2010. Located upstairs in the Raleigh Branch Boutique, the Career Center will provide resume, interview and job search resources, as well as the opportunity for our clients to meet with individual Career Coaches.
Learn more about our Career Center Services.
Professional Women's Group (PWG)
The PWG meets monthly, providing our network of employed Dress for Success women the partnership of support, practical information and inspiration to achieve self-defined success in career and life.
Learn about our Professional Women's Group.
Volunteer Opportunities
We have many volunteer opportunities to fit your passion and skills. These opportunities include PWG guest speakers, Career Coaches, Image Coaches and more. If you are interested in volunteering as a Career Coach or PWG guest speaker, please email RaleighPWG@dressforsuccesstrianglenc.org.
Learn more about all Raleigh Branch volunteer opportunities.
History
Since late 2003, Soroptimist International of Raleigh's Professional Clothing Closet (the "Closet") has been serving Wake County women in need of employment. The "Closet" opened in partnership with five Wake service agencies: Computer Training Partnership, the YWCA, Wake County Human Services, JobLink, and the Women's Center. Its goal was to provide a centralized clothing resource to those who wanted to work but for whom a lack of interview and work-appropriate clothing was an obstacle.
Soroptimist created a "referring partner" structure in which partner agencies committed to send clients to the "Closet" for clothing and to support the closet with a limited commitment of volunteer hours. In return, Soroptimist provided a safe and comfortable facility, collected and processed donations, provided volunteer coordination and scheduled "personal shopping" appointments for the clients. During the appointments, volunteers provided clothing and image consulting to build client confidence and help foster a positive first impression when the clients secured interviews and /or employment.
After approximately one year of operating in a South Raleigh location, the "Closet" relocated to a safer downtown address, conveniently close to bus lines. Over the next four years, the number of referring partners grew to thirty and more than 1200 satisfied clients were served.
In 2009, Soroptimist International of Raleigh and the newly founded Dress for Success Triangle NC merged their clothing operation. The Soroptimist Professional Clothing Closet is now the Raleigh Branch of Dress for SuccessTriangle NC. In addition to the suiting services, clients now have access to a wealth of additional Dress for Success services and resources. These expanded services include an on-site Career Center and a local Professional Women's Group for on-going support.
Soroptimist continues to operate and partially fund the Raleigh Boutique as its signature project in Wake County—one that truly improves the lives of women.
The Closet Story - Thursday, May 24, 2007 (Courtesy News & Observer, Raleigh, NC). Note: Our apologies, but the N&O has removed the link to this article.
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 Photo: Pat Lynch (left) and Pam Sinclair (center) help Sarah Morris, a client at the Professional Clothing Closet.
Morris was selecting an outfit to wear to a job interview.
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