For the Observer-Reporter
Less than a month ago, Wendy Maletta was hoping to secure a location for a Dress for Success branch in Washington.
Now, with locations secured in Washington and Donora, she is ready to tackle everything that needs to be done so the sites can be fully operational by October.
"We have the locations, now we need to mobilize the troops," said Maletta, co-founder of the Pittsburgh branch of Dress for Success. "The more we have when we get started, the better off we'll be."
Maletta said both locations need practically everything, from office furniture to clothing racks to clothes.
Start-up funding was provided by the Working Wardrobe and is available until the middle of 2009. After that, the organization hopes to obtain funding from the community as well.
"We're incredibly reliant on the communities we come into," Maletta said. "We're grateful for all donations from businesses and individual sources."
Dress for Success is a worldwide, nonprofit organization with more than 80 affiliates in five countries.
The free program is geared toward women transitioning into a life of self-sufficiency and employment who need professional clothing for the workplace and job interviews. Clients have the opportunity to select clothing and meet with image consultants.
But the organization is not all about appearance.
In Pittsburgh, Dress for Success has an ongoing relationship with the Professional Women's Group Program, which provides workshops and a support network for working women who have taken advantage of the Dress for Success.
Maletta said her favorite part of the program is that it is a lifetime activity, and that if a Pittsburgh woman gets a job in another city, she can simply join another branch of the women's group.
For now, the women's group is only available through the Pittsburgh location, but Maletta hopes to expand the program to the Washington County locations. Washington clients can use the program through the Pittsburgh location until that time.
"Anyone who comes through Dress for Success as a client is able to attend workshops through this group," Maletta said. "Having the new locales will just provide new opportunities."
Both the Washington location at 202 N. Main St. and the Donora location at 533 Thompson Ave. are affiliates of the Pittsburgh office in Warner Centre on Fifth Avenue, which has been in operation for more than two years.
The Pittsburgh location has partnered with more than 100 Pittsburgh agencies to provide clients with access to job-training programs, professional organizations and volunteer groups. Maletta hopes to eventually form partnerships with local organizations in the Washington area as well, although her main concern at this stage is just to get started.
To donate to Dress for Success or to become a volunteer, contact Wendy Maletta at 412-201-4204 or wendy@dressforsuccesspittsburgh.org.