TORONTO, April 1, 2015 /CNW/ - Dress for Success Toronto is kicking off its 2015 Bay Street Suit Challenge with a bang. On the morning of Tuesday, April 28, corporate supporters of DFST will open the market at the TMX Broadcast Centre to officially mark the start of the charity's annual signature suit drive that encourages fun and a little friendly competition amongst Toronto companies while enabling clients to radiate poise and that elusive something called "style".
"The Challenge is about more than style; it empowers disadvantaged women and men to transform their lives and achieve economic independence," says Debbie Lupton, Executive Director of Dress for Success Toronto. The aim of this year's challenge is to provide direct support to nearly 2000 of its clients. Dress for Success Toronto is an organization founded on the belief that every person deserves a chance to succeed. This not-for-profit organization provides clients from low-income families a complete wardrobe for interviews and ongoing employment.
Registration for sponsors and participants of the 2015 Bay Street Suit Challenge is open through April 20.
The Bay Street Suit Challenge is a companywide suit drive that offers individuals the opportunity to clean out their closets as well as contribute to a worthwhile cause. As part of the Bay Street Suit Challenge, corporations are encouraged to donate new or nearly new professional clothing and accessories. The challenge focuses on collecting items such as high quality suits, shirts, unopened hosiery, costume jewellery, belts, shoes and purses, which contribute to helping women build self-esteem and confidence to enter the workplace. Winners are selected based on the number of clothing items donated by the company and awards are presented in the small, medium, and large sized business categories.
The Bay Street Suit Challenge is easy to organize and rewarding for employees as companies challenge each other to be crowned the 2015 champions.
How to Get Involved in 5 Easy Steps:
The winners of the challenge in the small, medium and large business categories will be announced at a celebratory after work party in mid-June – date and location TBA.
About Dress for Success Toronto
The mission of Dress for Success Toronto is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Dress for Success Toronto provides each woman with interview appropriate suits when she has a job interview. Through their Career Center they offer career guidance, mock interviews and support in their job searches. When she successfully lands the job, she returns to Dress for Success Toronto for additional business-appropriate clothing that will help her build a professional wardrobe. She also receives an invitation to join the Professional Women's Group, our employment retention program, which provides a partnership of ongoing support and practical information, from understanding corporate culture to handling personal finances. Dress for Success Toronto serves job-ready women by referral only from a range of non-profit organizations.
Our programs help women transition towards self-sufficiency by addressing their social and economic needs in relation to work, home and community. Each woman is a success story: She has gone from unemployment to economic independence.
SOURCE Dress for Success
Image with caption: "Opening the Market for the Bay Street Suit Challenge on April 30th, 2014 at the TMX Broadcast Centre. (CNW Group/Dress for Success)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150401_C8048_PHOTO_EN_13812.jpg
For further information: Debbie Lupton, Executive Director, [email protected], 416.901.6022, Charity Registration # 889786216RR0001, #BayStreetSuitChallenge
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