Teens and Tears: A Lifechanging Experience

This past Saturday, twenty exceptional high school scholars from The Ronald Simon Family Foundation came to Working Wardrobes. They learned dining etiquette and financial literacy, had their hair cut and make-up done, and received professional suits to wear to their success banquet next month.

We had over 20 amazing volunteers-- that's one for each and every client. Major props to the Huntington Beach Marinello School of Beauty and the Saddleback Valley Chapter of the National Charity League, as well as everyone else who helped make this a huge success (you know who you are).

I could talk and talk about it (oh, you have no idea how I could talk), but words pale in comparison to being there. Here's a taste of what it was like:

I'm trying to formulate the words that would best express my complete gratitude for the services you provided for our San Diego Simon Scholars on Saturday. I was overwhelmed by the compassion each of your volunteers exuded toward each student. I saw lives changed in one day. There are some really great kids inside some of those broken down shells, and I watched, in tears, as each scholar walked with a new level of confidence and self-esteem during the fashion show at the end of the day.

Thank you again for your dedication to our Foundation. It was a life changing experience for me as well.

~ Joanna [Program Coordinator for The Ronald Simon Family Foundation]

Where I'll Be Next Friday Night

Delicious appetizers. Pineapple margaritas. Designer clothes. 15% off. I don't need to say anymore-- I can already hear people pulling out their planners and calling their friends.

Presenting First Fridays: on the first friday of the month, Hannah Bean in Santa Ana will be mixing margaritas, playing music, and serving delicious appetizers for FREE-- some amazing Food Network creation, I've been informed. (Because who couldn't spend all day long perusing the wonders that channel has to offer.)

Here's the really amazing part (well, after the free margaritas of course): they will be collecting clothing and accessories for us, and anyone who donates gets 15% off. While I know everyone will donate because they want to help adults in crises... the discount doesn't hurt.

Plus, this is a local business. Hannah Bean is a brand spankin' new boutique across from the Main Place Mall in Santa Ana. The shop is gorgeous, smells like heaven, and carries designers like William Rast Denim, Dittos, BCBG, Rebecca Taylor, Nanette Lepore, and tons more.

The first First Friday is September 4th from 6-9 pm. If you're on Facebook, become a fan and check out the page they set up for this event. Shopping, music, food, drink--sounds like a Friday night to me.

The breakdown: support Working Wardrobes, support our clients, support local businesses, and get free food and drink--and 15% off. (Honestly, you're not going to give up shopping, so you may as well take the 15% off and get 15% further with your money.)

As for me, you had me at "pineapple margaritas."

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Working Wardrobes Back in Jail: Part 4

Okay, not really. Yesterday morning was our 4th class at the Musick jail facility in Irvine. Our focus was on better serving through better understanding. That's something author, speaker, and consultant Stephen Covey could tell us a thing or two about:

First seek to understand and then to be understood.

Bet that quote would've been useful before jumping to conclusions about the title of this post, huh?

We are down to six women, as four have been released since beginning the program. However, they are amazing-- they're learning almost as much from each other as they are from us.

We had a great discussion on our experiences in the crazy world of customer service. What made a good experience good? For all of us, it was when someone went out of their way to do something special, like adding something extra or making an exception.

Many of our participants have worked retail and customer service jobs before, so we could turn the discussion to how they provided good customer service, and it was the same: someone took a second to do a little something extra and made a lasting memory.

One of our participants has never had a job before, and she just loves feeling like she is getting the inside scoop on all of this. (I wish I had this kind of insight before my first customer service job--it would have saved me from heaps of embarrassing moments.)

We also focused on how to provide for customers with special needs, both visible and hidden. (My spidey-sense tells me I can help you by...)

All joking aside, we're very excited about how this program is going-- we are down to just two more weeks! All the participants have been invited to come to the Center to take the assessment exam after they are released so they can receive their certification from the National Retail Federation. This is great, and will really give them an edge when it is time for them to rejoin the community. I'm sure they'll be ready for whatever comes next!

BBQ, Blues Music and Gambling (kinda), oh my!

Please join Working Wardrobes on Sunday, October 4 for our biggest fundraising event of the year - "Blue Jeans & the Blues" at the Lakeside Lagoon in Irvine!

Put on your best blue jeans and gather your friends and colleagues for a chic but casual, high-energy evening of great music, dancing and authentic barbecue.

At the same time you'll be helping at-risk adults get back to work with dignity - can you think of a better way to spend a Sunday evening?

Here are some hightlights to expect:

* Dance to the sassy, soulful, sophisticated blues of Pamela G who is an award-winning blues and jazz singer. She and her musicians have generously donated their appearance to Working Wardrobes. Listen to her music on her website at: http://www.pamelag.com/

* Enjoy designer cocktails, wine and other beverages under the stars

* Bid on high-end items at both the silent and live auctions

* Have the time of your life in a beautiful, outdoor setting that's like a day camp for grownups. At night.

* And the best part, individual tickets are only $50 and a couple can attend for just $75!

For more details and to purchase tickets or a table, please visit our website at: www.workingwardrobes.org

We hope to see you there and we thank you for your support!

The Cabsisters of Fountain Valley Raised $200 at quarterly garage sale in support of Working Wardrobes

A huge thank you to the Cabsisters of Fountain Valley for their incredibly generous donation of $200 in support of our "Hip To Be Square" fundraising campaign! The money was raised at their quarterly garage sale and was personally delivered to our Career Center today by members Debbie and Pam (pictured left).

Their donation purchases 2 square feet of the new building that Working Wardrobes is moving into this November (more details to follow) - the Cabsisters certainly will have a place of honor on our Donor Appreciation wall!

There is seemingly nothing these amazing ladies won't do to support this organization. They have volunteered at our "Day of Self-Esteem" events, our fundraising events, donated clothing and accessories and have been tremendous advocates within the community. Their members will also soon be volunteering at our Career Center to assist with Volunteer Coordination and Corporate Outreach.

Here is some copy from a recent email sent to us on behalf of their members, "We are concerned that due to budget cuts, WW may be experiencing internal operations issues. Is there anything we can do to help? Do you need assistance with replying to emails? Putting together mailings? Answering phones? Etc.? Some of our members may be able to volunteer their time at HQ or at the Hanger locations. We truly appreciate Working Wardrobes and its mission to help adults coming out of crises to re-enter the workforce."

Truly this email brought tears to our eyes - we are so grateful for their thoughtfulness and support!

Working Wardrobes salutes Belinda Kouche with Wells Fargo Private Banking for organizing a clothing drive that went above and beyond!

This week, Wells Fargo Private Banking held their first ever Working Wardrobe clothing drive. This effort was spearheaded by Wells Fargo employee, Belinda Kouche (pictured left) and her incredible energy and enthusiasm no doubt rallied the good people at the Irvine office to look into their hearts and closets!

The outpouring of response was truly tremendous with that office along collecting over 250 pieces of high quality clothing, dozens of shoes, and some beautiful jewelry and accessories. We even received close to $300 in financial donations from those who did not have any clothing to donate - truly remarkable. We so appreciate that during these tough economic times that so many gave so freely as they know that while things may be tough for them, they are even tougher for many others living in Orange County.

When Belinda arrived at Working Wardrobes Donation Center on Wednesday to drop off all of the bounty that she and her fellow Wells Fargo staffers collected she was incredibly surprised and impressed with the scope of services we provide to our clients and she truly knew these donations went to the right place. Belinda assured us that this clothing drive was just the beginning of Wells Fargo's support of Working Wardrobes - we can hardly wait to see what this dynamo has in store for us next!

Our sincere thanks goes out to everyone at Wells Fargo Private Banking for your generosity and support!

To learn more about organizing a clothing drive or other ways in which your company can support Working Wardrobes, please contact our Manager of Community Relations,
Mary Lou Torres at (714) 210-2460 or marylout@workingwardrobes.org

Week 3 of Pilot Program with the OC Sheriff's Dept

Today was our 3rd class serving incarcerated women housed at the Musick facility in Irvine. Our class was down to 7 participants as another woman was released late last week but once again we had nothing but enthusiasm and engagement from all who were present.

This week focused on the true curriculum provided by the National Retail Federation as we begin to prepare these women to take their certification exam upon completion of this class and release from jail.

Our Thought of the Day was:

“One must learn by doing the thing, for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try it.” - Aristotle

This resonated with the women as they feel very defensive about the position they find themselves in currently and even after release will feel like the whole world will know they've been in jail just by looking at them. We used this view point and understanding of how hard it is when you feel like you're being negatively judged and framed it from a customer service and real world perspective.

Many in the class feel that their life experiences have better prepared them to connect with people of all backgrounds and that they would be more open to people with different personalities and needs. With this in mind we learned how to get better information out of customers by using open ended questions and using the power of observation and active listening to read cues on how a customer would like to be addressed and served and even did some fun demonstrations on what not to do - our participants always love to see the facilitators act in a ridiculous manner!

As we move into our 4th week of class, we know we will be losing two more participants as they are being released. Fortunately, one of these clients has already signed on to finish this class at our Career Center in Fountain Valley. We will be sure to keep you all posted on her progress as well as everyone else in the weeks to come!

A Working Wardrobes client shares her personal experience in her own words

I was introduced to your organization after our home was lost in the Anaheim Hills fires last year.

At the time, my immediate focus was getting my son settled in his senior year of high school and gathering enough items to put a home back together.

Last week I contacted your center for help replacing my lost clothing. I now have clothing that allows me the confidence to go into a conference room for an interview and not feel uncomfortable that I am wearing my "disaster clothing." After the fire, so many people provided us with clothing - most of it too big, too small, too worn out, out of style...

I am not comfortable asking for help but I am very thankful I put my pride and uneasiness aside and reached out for the assistance you so kindly offered. The attention to detail makes the experience so positive and delightful...wrapping the items in tissue paper and presenting them in a new shopping bag gives the added touch of a real shopping spree in a regular retail environment. My so was so pleased when I came home and did a fashion show for him, he was happy to see that I did something for myself and was thrilled with my experience.

You provide not only clothing, but also empathy, comfort, confidence, dignity and the reassurance that life has so much to offer - that we can achieve our dreams and find success after whatever negative event or experience we've endured. I will forever be grateful.

- Therese Dryer Torres

Success Coach program launches this Saturday in preparation for the 13th annual Men's "Day of Self-Esteem" event

This Saturday, August 15 Working Wardrobes will launch the volunteer Success Coach program in preparation for our 13th Annual Men's "Day of Self-Esteem" event which will be held on Sunday, October 25 at Los Amigos High School in Fountain Valley, CA.

In preparation for each "Day of Self-Esteem" event (3 events are held each year), Working Wardrobes deploys their crew of over 40 volunteer Success Coaches to almost 20 Partner Agencies to facilitate a 6-week, career readiness training. The Partner Agencies include domestic violence tranistional living programs as well as long-term residential substance abuse treatment programs located in Orange County, Long Beach, Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.

All of our coaches are trained to facilitate Working Wardrobes "Career Success" workshop curriculum that includes topics such as: skills assessments, networking, business etiquette, interview skills and more. Although we do provide the curriculum, our coaches are all experienced in the Human Resource and/or training fields and bring tremendous expertise that greatly enhances our clients experience and ultimate success.

We are still recruiting coaches and have space available at this Saturday's training which is from 8 am - 4 pm at Working Wardrobes in Fountain Valley. If you're interested in becoming a Success Coach, please visit the Success Coach page on our website (link below):

http://www.workingwardrobes.org/coaches.htm

You may also contact Mary Ann Profeta, our Manager of Career Development as she heads up the program at: (714) 210-2460 or maryannp@workingwardrobes.org

Please join us in positively impacting these men's lives and preparing them for a successful job search!

Overcoming Barriers and Realizing Your Potential: Week 2 of our Pilot Program with the OC Sheriff's Dept.

"If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This quote from the famous German poet was our "Thought of the Day" for our second class at the Musick jail in Irvine and it resonated fully with the women in the class as they inch closer to their release dates and contemplate who they'll be and how they'll live their lives upon re-entry into society. [Please note that we started this class last Tuesday with 10 participants and we had 8 with us today as the other 2 were released from custody.]

When asked what the quote meant to them, one participant said that in the past she surrounded herself with friends that accepted and supported her lifestyle of "doing nothing and getting into trouble" and that she now seeks out people who "make me uncomfortable; people with goals, people who want to work, because it makes me want those things too."

This led to an open and honest discussion about qualities necessary for success on the job as well as barriers to success such as a felony record, child care, transportation and intangibles like, the ability to get along with co-workers and not bringing your personal life into the workplace. The class was broken up into small working groups and asked to come up with solutions for all of the barriers they had identified, the result was truly remarkable! Not only did they find multiple solutions for the barriers, they agreed that they no longer had anything standing in their way of ultimate success - everything is in your attitude towards it!

We wrapped up today's class with a fun and memorable exercise about communication. After demonstrating and practicing a proper handshake we then asked the class to make two teams to do an excercise of one-way vs. two communication - they truly learned quickly that you can't get much done efficiently or correctly without being specific in what you ask for and without the ability to ask questions for the sake of clarity!

With those lessons in mind, we sent them off with materials to review in preparation for next week's topic: Get to Know Your Customer and Going the Extra Mile.

We'll have another update for you all next Tuesday afternoon about our classes progress, until then, please share your thoughts with us, we want to hear from you!

p.s. Some great news from a Working Wardrobes client who has participated in and completed a number of our programs, including the Customer Service Training:

This week she celebrated her 1 year anniversary in a position with a high-end retailer! She says she loves her job and is looking at another promotion opportunity shortly!

Working Wardrobes Launches Pilot Program with the OC Sheriff's Dept to serve incarcerated women

Last week, Working Wardrobes launched our 6 week pilot program with the OC Sheriff's Department to provide incarcerated women with our National Retail Federation (NRF) certified customer service job training as well as with our "Career Success" job search curriculum.

The program, which is taking place at the James Musick County Jail in Irvine, began with 10 women who were not only very excited to participate - they all had big smiles as they entered the classroom at 8:30 am sharp - but were incredibly engaged and supportive of each other over the 2 hour period. The participants bring a wide variety in terms of job experience and skill levels but they all expressed an interest in not only improving or learning new skills but discovering their strengths and interests so as to help ensure greater success in their future careers.

The goal of the Pilot Program is to provide incarcerated women with more tools and opportunities prior to their release from jail so that upon their re-entry into society they are more prepared with the tools and support services necessary for their success.

Tomorrow is our second class and we will be sure to bring you an update on our participants progress - wish them luck!