What does it take to receive the Non-Profit Organization of the Year Award? Check out what Sheri K. Cole, Executive Director of Career Wardrobe, has to say as we highlight one of the excellent small businesses that drives the Greater Philadelphia region. Join us to celebrate the 34th Annual Excellence Award winners on Thursday, November 17 »
Career Wardrobe is a social enterprise that uses clothing and professional development to empower unemployed individuals to work. Headquartered in Philadelphia with locations throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania, including The Wardrobe Boutique, a women’s resale clothing store at 19th and Spring Garden Streets in Philadelphia, their mission is to empower women and men in transition by providing programs that inspire the confidence necessary to achieve self-sufficiency and pursue a productive career. In the past 21 years, Career Wardrobe has outfitted and empowered over 80,000 people.
Recognizing the gap between job training and employment, Career Wardrobe saw a way to help women who didn’t have the resources to go to the department store to purchase a new suit for an interview.
“By focusing on services that inspire deeper engagement, and working to complement the services provided by other nonprofits, Career Wardrobe maintains the integrity of our mission and creates a community that leaves no one behind,” says Sheri K. Cole, Executive Director.
The Non-Profit Organization of the Year has a business philosophy to inspire their clients, and their team that sticks to four tenets: empowerment, opportunity, success, and hope. “There’s no one way to define any of those terms, and that’s what I love about them,” says Executive Director Sheri K. Cole. “If we can provide a program that inspires one person to feel empowered, to find opportunity, to experience success, to feel a surge of hope for the future – no matter what that looks like – then we’ve succeeded.”
While clients may have various goals, from looking for a new job to getting accepted into a nursing program, Career Wardrobe looks at each client’s unique goals as his or her own personal journey. “If we can provide the clothing and the skills they need to confidently and excitedly pursue those things, while feeling worthy and deserving, that’s all I can really hope for.”
Though employees at Career Wardrobe may be able to see a small change in someone’s life every day, Cole believes that it is important to take a step back to truly see the impact of their work over their 21 years. When asked what it means to be named an Excellence Award winner, Cole responded, “We [in the nonprofit sector] often work long hours without much acknowledgement. Although I try as a leader and manager to acknowledge my volunteers and employees, it is nice to get this nod of approval from our peers in the business community. Thank you for allowing us to accept this award and have a moment in the sun – not just for our leadership, but for every employee, volunteer, or donor who has supported our work.”
Cole attributes the success of Career Wardrobe to the professional community in Philadelphia. “From men and women cleaning out their closets and donating clothing, to corporations who sponsor our events and programs, to affinity groups that volunteer to help dress clients and make our main location, The Wardrobe Boutique, look amazing – everything we are able do is because professionals in the community support our work.”
Career Wardrobe recently opened new locations in Bucks and Delaware Counties thanks to an expanded contract with the PA Department of Human Services’ PA WORKWEAR Program.
“Our plan for the next few years is to really learn about the new communities we’re serving – we understand what job seekers in Philadelphia need, but what resources do individuals in Bucks and Delaware Counties require to succeed?” says Cole.
By using the tactics that made their Philadelphia program a success, Career Wardrobe hopes to eventually serve the entire region of Southeastern PA.
“It’s such an exciting time, and an awesome responsibility – one we are honored to bear.”
