BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A big part of going to a job interview is looking professional, but it can be tough to afford the right clothes. The nonprofit Dress For Success is changing that but they need your help. They're currently hosting a "Your Hour, Her Power" campaign.
“It is an hour of your pay or an hour of your time. We are [also] looking for volunteers, so we ask people whether it be minimum wage, $15.50, or $150 per hour, donate an hour of your time and support that woman," said executive director Elaine McNearney.
Whether you donate your time or money, McNearney said you’ll be making an impact on women right here in Kern County.
Volunteers help them pick out outfits for job interviews.
"The clothing helps us lower [that] first barrier to employment. Statistics say that the employer looks you up and down about six seconds, makes up their mind if you fit in with the culture of the company, and so that obviously means they have to look the part," said McNearney.
And monetary donations help Dress For Success provide everything else needed for an interview.
"We also offer resume review. We offer mock interviews. We help them practice. A lot of our women are coming out of extreme poverty and do not have internet and do not have computers in their homes, so we have facilities for them to use here. We help them fill out job applications," said McNearney.
Everything is free to the women who visit. Dress For Success is funded by donations, which McNearney said makes it all especially empowering.
“People donate to us and those donations go directly to local women, so by local women, for local women," she said.
Throughout the month of March, also visit their social media pages. They’re doing “31 days of Women in Power," featuring local women making a difference in Kern County.
They aren’t taking clothing donations right now but they always need shoes and purses. If you’d like to learn more or donate, click here.
