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NEWS

Partner Highlight: Suited for Success

Can you imagine going on a job interview and not feeling good about the way you are presenting yourself to the employer? Most of the men enrolled in the LifeWorks training classes have never owned a suit…

Thanks to the incredible commitment from First United Methodist Church of Winter Park, First Class Cleaners, and St. Paul’s PCA Church, the men in our program are walking into job fairs and interviews with confidence.

Suited for Success was created specifically for Jobs Partnership, thanks to the generosity of our partners and the hard work and dedication of Laura Toshie at the church and Lori Dunaway at the cleaners. Together, they have developed a process to receive new and gently used business attire which is inventoried and stored at St. Paul’s Church. Then, during each LifeWorks training class cycle, each man gets an appointment to pick out a suit and accessories, with the help of trained volunteer “personal shoppers”. Each suit is marked and sent to First Class Cleaners for alterations and dry cleaning. Several weeks later, the men receive a complete outfit, including shoes, shirt/tie, belt, and a goodie bag, just in time for JP’s Career Fair.

The best part of the process is watching the men picking out and trying on their suits and seeing their countenance change – it’s a tear jerker.

All of this is done by volunteers and we are always in need of more people to serve in this one-time volunteer activity during the 12-week LifeWorks training class, which happens in the Fall and the Spring.

Please visit our website to submit your Volunteer Application…you  will be blessed!

You can also donate gently used items by visiting any First Class Cleaners location, including Winterland Cleaners in Winter Park, and designating it for Jobs Partnership.

Business Church Community Volunteer