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Clothes That Work Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Mobile Unit

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Clothes That Wore opened for business in the Montgomery County Job Center on June 12, 1998. I was amongst the first class of volunteers to go through training to become personal shoppers for the women that were referred to us by partners to provide interview and workplace-appropriate clothing to single mothers who were affected by welfare reform in the 1990s.  In July 2002, CTW hired their first Executive Director, Kym Yahn, a former Board member and one of the founding mothers. In that same year they served their 3,000th client. 

In an effort to secure new revenue streams for CTW, the Boutique opened in 2005, selling donated clothing that was not interview appropriate. In 2008, Clothes That work celebrated their 10-year anniversary. By this time they had served 12,000 clients in the Greater Dayton area. CTW also moved to a larger suite in the job center in order to increase operational effectiveness and efficiency. Five years later, Clothes That Work celebrated their 15 year milestone in 2013 and earned the Better Business Bureau’s  Eclipse Integrity Award.  

In 2018, Cindy Garner became the 5th Executive Director for Clothes That Work during the organization’s 20th Anniversary.  Cindy’s leadership helped them navigate virtual fundraisers through covid and for the first time ever, grow the staff and launch a capital campaign to think beyond their four walls. 

So today on  the 25th Anniversary Celebration for Clothes That Work I’m still so proud of this organization thatlives its mission daily: to clothe, educate, and empower individuals to prepare them for employment success.  CTW has now impacted more than 39,000 women, men and independent teens in our community. And with the addition of the mobile unit they debuted at today’s celebration, its so great to know that CTW will continue help job seekers make great first impressions and present themselves confidently with their clothing new to them!

Is someone’s future hanging in your closet? Proper interview attire can be THE barrier to getting work for some job seekers. A new outfit changes perspectives, builds confidence and creates possibilities for our clients. Click here for ways you can help.

 

Over $40,000 Raised With CTW’s Men At Work Campaign

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Clothes That Work today shared the results of their 2021 Men at Work campaign following a special virtual awards celebration on Thursday, May 20, and named Tyler Greenwood, from The Greentree Group, the 2021 Clothes That Work Ambassador of the Year.

This year’s event featured 25 local businessmen and community leaders who campaigned as Role Models for votes to earn the honor of Clothes That Work’s Ambassador of the Year. Each vote purchased was a $5 donation to Clothes That Work, and people were encouraged to vote for their favorites. The men engaged in three weeks of themed competitions, and results were tallied to determine the overall winner.

The 2021 Role Models earned the most votes ever received during the annual Men At Work campaign. The men collectively secured 5,887 votes, and when combined with sponsorships and special event revenue, they raised just over $40,000 to support Clothes That Work’s programs and services. Greenwood took home the title of Ambassador of the Year by securing 2,266 votes and personally raising $11,330 for the organization…a new record from a Men At Work winner.

Mark Brewer

Additional awards were given to the weekly themed competition winners including:

  • Tyler Greenwood from The Greentree Group received the “First Impressions Award”
  • Mark Brewer from Retail Resource received the “Workplace Image Award”
  • Tyler Greenwood from The Greentree Group received the “Casually Cool Award”

“The dedication, enthusiasm and hard work from all of the Role Models helps us make a difference in the lives of our clients,” said Clothes That Work Executive Director Cindy Garner. “We raised over $40,000 making it our most successful campaign ever. Every dollar of the money raised goes directly to the Clothes That Work mission to clothe, educate and empower individuals to prepare them for employment success and help build a stronger Dayton workforce. This campaign inspires our job seekers and shows them that being a Role Model is attainable for them as well.” Men at Work was created seven years ago with a simple goal in mind: to engage men in the mission and vision of Clothes that Work.  For years, the organization mostly served women, but today, men make up more than 58 percent of Clothes That Work clients.  Collectively, Men at Work has generated over $190,000 to support the organization’s programs and services.

CAUTION! – MEN AT WORK…for CLOTHES THAT WORK!

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One of Dayton’s most beloved fundraisers is back…and the Men are RED HOT this year! Clothes that Work presents their annual ‘MEN AT WORK’  an online competition featuring local businessmen and community leaders raising funds for the organization.   25 ‘Role Models’ share their story and their professional image for three weeks as they campaign for votes. Every vote is a $5 donation to Clothes that Work. The result is funds raised for a good cause and the Role Model with the most votes is awarded ‘Ambassador of the Year’!

Lagman is the reigning champ!

Last year’s reigning champion, Shawn Lagman shared his feelings about the worthwhile contest. ‘It is awesome to be part of something that helps people who are trying to better themselves.  There is something in helping others overcome adversity that tends to get people involved in making a difference!’ Lagman had some sage advice for this year’s ‘male models.’  ‘Dive in HEAD FIRST!

Talk to everyone about what you are doing. Use your resources, connect through social media. Tell people about the great work CTW does…they will want to help!’ Lagman loved the mission behind the event adding, ‘People feel how they look. Clothes that Work allows people to feel confident!’

CTW Executive Director Cindy Garner

‘Clothes That Work, builds new starts.’ says Executive Director, Cindy Garner.  ‘Proper interview attire can be THE barrier to getting work for some job seekers. A new outfit changes perspectives, builds confidence and creates possibilities for our clients.’   Garner loves the ‘Men at Work‘ event and feels it showcases just how giving the Dayton Community is. ‘It is a fun way to get our message out to the public. We are so hopeful to break all records this year!’   The kick-off party takes place Monday, April 26th at Tender Mercy. ‘The venue is just amazing, and it allowed us to snatch Branden Fugate (TM bartender), a true contender!’  You can watch the event virtually by clicking the Facebook link: https://fb.me/e/29eT9k1RA.

 

John Capobianco impressed by Dayton community.

Helping lead the charge this year is NYC transplant, John Capobianco. ‘I was so fortunate to be introduced to CTW from a friend in the events business, Nick Warrington. He told me about this contest, and I knew I wanted to be involved.’ Capobianco bring years of events experience with him from NYC, and is impressed by Dayton’s dedication to charitable organizations. ‘Listen, the boutique rivals anything New York has to offer. And the idea that CTW empowers people to grow in self-confidence and self-worth is really fantastic!’  The impressive boutique is located  at 1133 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., Suite 392 and open Monday – Friday: 10AM to 2PM, Second Saturday of Each Month: 9AM to Noon.

Philip Drennen loves the mission behind the modeling!

‘Men at Work‘ really is about guys giving their time, looks and energy to make a difference. One entry this year, Dare To Defy’s Philip Drennen put it like this, ‘I knew so little about Clothes the Work. When I was asked to participate it went beyond just doing the modeling for this. I am dedicated to doing my part to help people get that interview that could and will change their life!’ Drennen is hoping for a whopping 300 votes, and the title of ‘2021 Ambassador of the Year!’  ‘I am in the entertainment industry,’ Drennen said. ‘We have had to alter our lives during the pandemic, and I know for many entertainers, corporate interviews are a new way of doing things. Clothe that Work will likely be helping some of my entertainment industry friends!’

You can support Clothes that Work by donating some of your own gently used professional clothes. CTW accepts donations by appointment Monday -Friday, simply go to this site.

 

 

 

 

CTW Kicks Off Men at Work Campaign

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Each week, our men will compete in a themed competition. The Role Model who secures the most votes each week will win an award:

  • Beginning April 30, 2018:
    First Impressions Award
  • Beginning May 7, 2018:
    Workplace Image Award
  • Beginning May 14, 2018:
    Casually Cool Award

Voting will officially end at 11:59pm on Friday, May 18th. We will then tally the votes and announce the results at a special awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 23, 2018. Individual awards will be given to the winners of each weekly themed competition, and the individual who has the most overall votes will be crowned Clothes That Work’s “Ambassador of the Year.”

Meet the 2018 Role Models:

 


Charles Baerman
Shawn Bauman
Ben Bergman

Kevin Cornell
Ken DeMange
Aliou Diouf

Justin Howard
Jacob Hynes
Brent Johnson

AJ Kessler
Rob Krause
Tom Maher

Sean Mitchell
John North
Stephen Offord

Peter Qumsiyeh
Josh Schierloh
Shelby Shackelford

Bill Slowden
Chris Southern
Josh Stuckey

Jonathan Thompson
Bill Twiss
Rodney Veal

Old Scratch Pizza Serves Up Cones For a Cause

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The Patterson Blvd. Pizza place that opened this past fall is not only serving up some of the best thin crust pizza in town, they’ve also created a program that is giving back to our area nonprofits.

Old Scratch Pizza make soft serve ice cream to serve to their guests.  They don’t charge for the cones, instead they ask for a small donation.  Each month Old Scratch Pizza collects and donate all monies to a chosen charity organization.

They kicked off the program in November of 2016 with  Secret Smiles, an organization that provides beds and bedding for children in the Miami Valley, then in December partnered with Clothes That Work, who provide workplace appropriate clothing, confidence building education and coaching services to job seekers. In January OSP chose Equitas Health, one of the nation’s largest HIV/lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) healthcare organizations.  Last month the featured charity was Girls On the Run, who inspires girls to take charge of their lives and define the future on their terms.

For March they’ve chosen another great organization as this month’s “Cones for a Cause” recipient. Owners Eric and Stephanie Soller shared they  “are really excited to be partnering with House of Bread, who deliver hot, nutritious meals to anyone in need 365 days a year. This kind of resource is so needed in our community. So come on down, have a cone, and make a difference.”

Bonus opportunity: Put Tuesday March 21st on your calendar for a “Restaurant Takeover” to support House of Bread. Volunteers from the group will be there pouring beers, and serving up ice cream cones, and 10% of the proceeds between 6-9 go to the organization!

If you know of an organization that would be interested in being a “Cones for a Cause” charity, please fill out the online form found at the bottom of their webpage.

Visit Old Scratch Pizza at 812 S. Patterson Road for lunch or dinner.  Pizzas are artfully prepared to order and cooked in a wood-burning oven until perfectly flame-kissed. Pair your pie with a specialty house cocktail or regional craft beer in our open-air, casual, and communal hall.  Also on the menu, some great salads, their Whole Roasted Cauliflower, sandwiches and yes, they have gluten free pizza crust available.  They are open Tuesday- Thursday from 11am – 10pm, Friday & Saturday’s they stay open an hour later until 11pm and Sunday from 11am – 9pm.

 

Clothes That Work Now Collecting Gowns and Accessories For Fairy Godmother Project

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ctwClothes That Work, in partnership with the Dayton Chapter of  The Links, Incorporated, presents the 6th annual Fairy Godmother Project on Saturday, March 15 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Clothes That Work, located in The Job Center, 1133 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd.

The Fairy Godmother Project is directed at prom-going high school girls who are in need of a prom dress and originated with support from Disney On Ice in an effort to allow every girl to feel like a princess on her prom day.

The Fairy Godmother Project @ Clothes That Work from Andy Snow on Vimeo.

It is anticipated that more than 500 girls will attend the distribution event on March 15, sorted and stocked prom gowns of all sizes are provided in a department store-like setting. The girls will be able to try on as many dresses as they like until they find the perfect dress and coordinating accessories. All dresses and accessories are given to the girls at no cost. Girls wishing to participate may register the day of the event, beginning at 10 a.m., at the Clothes That Work office in the Job Center. Pre-registration is not required.

Currently, Clothes That Work is accepting dress and accessory donations for the Fairy Godmother Project. Dress and accessory donations may be made to Clothes That Work during regular donation times, or at any of these local businesses:

Dayton Chamber of Commerce – Dayton Convention Center, 22 E Fifth Street, 2nd Floor,  Dayton, OH  45402
Donations accepted Monday – Friday 8 a.m – 5 p.m. January 6 – February 28, 2014.

Oakwood Florist – 2313 Far Hills Ave Dayton OH 45419
Donations accepted Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. January 6 through February 28, 2014.



Hannah’s Treasure Chest – 124 Westpark Dr. Centerville, OH 45459
Donations accepted Monday – Thursday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.  January 6 through February 27, 2014.

Logos@Work – 937 S. Patterson Blvd. Dayton, OH 45402
Donations accepted January 6 through February 28, 2014.

Square One Salon & Spa – Centerville – 1 N. Main St. Centerville OH 45459
Donations accepted Monday – Thursday 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. , Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sunday Noon – 5 p.m. January 6 through February 28, 2014.

Square One Salon & Spa – Downtown – 506 E. Third St. Dayton OH 45402
Donations accepted Monday Noon – 8 p.m., Tuesday – Thursday 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. January 6 through February 28, 2014.

In advance of the dress distribution, the Dayton Chapter of The Links, Incorporated conduct an online essay contest with top finishers winning additional prom goods, such as limousine transportation, dinners, hair and nail services, tuxedo rental for their dates, corsages and boutonnieres and more.

For more information on dress collection, distribution or the essay contest, please visit www.clothesthatwork.org or contact Shelby Quinlivan at 937.222.3778 ext.150 or Shelby.quinlivan@clothesthatwork.org.

 

Clothes That Work and Limited Brands Foundation Present 13th Annual Fashioning Futures Sweet Success Luncheon

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ctw 15Clothes That Work will celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the organization at the Fashioning Futures luncheon on October 24, 2013. This uplifting event features men and women client-models wearing gently used clothing from Clothes That Work. They will share their varied stories and backgrounds with more than 500 luncheon guests at Sinclair Community College’s Ponitz Center.

Clothes That Work provides interview appropriate clothing and personalized confidence building image services for men, women and teens who are preparing to transition from public assistance to employment.  Once clients secure a job, they can return and select additional outfits to better prepare them for a new career.  Clothes That Work also provides interview training skills, image workshops and practice interview experiences.  Last year alone, Clothes That Work served over 800 job seekers.

Plan to join us for our 13th annual Fashioning Futures Luncheon on Thursday, October 24, 2013 at the Sinclair Conference Center from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.  This event is the primary fundraiser for Clothes That Work and helps empower job seekers with clothing, education and opportunity as they move toward greater self-reliance and supports the unique role that Clothes That Work plays in growing the economic vitality of our community.

Clothes That Work will celebrate its clients’ successes, 15th year anniversary of serving the community, and applaud the vision of the founding mothers who sought to make a difference in the lives of individuals that ultimately established this valuable community asset.

(C)2010 Andy Snow

2010 Luncheon, photo by Andy Snow

This year’s luncheon is co-chaired by Andrea Hubler, Interbrand Design Forum, Pat Kanuckel, Victoria’s Secret Direct and Natasha Baker, NLB Communications.

The event is open to the public and limited sponsorship opportunities and individual tickets are still available through October 18, 2013.

For more information, visit clothesthatwork.org.

About Clothes That Work

Clothes That Work is a non–profit organization and is managed by a volunteer Board of Trustees. Our mission is to provide interview appropriate clothing and personalized confidence building image services for clients. Customers are referred to our organization through a network of Referral Partners including other non-profit agencies, educational institutions, job training programs and governmental organizations. Our services are provided at no cost to job seekers who need help in dressing appropriately for job interviews or the workplace. Clothes That Work relies greatly upon the generous support of the people and organizations within the Dayton region who donate work appropriate clothing, their time and financial resources.

Best Legs Contest Benefits Clothes That Work!

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Best Legs Contestant Jim Danis

Twenty one men in the Miami Valley are macho enough to sport high heels to make their legs look their best, as they compete for the annual Best Legs contest to benefit Clothes That Work.  A local non-profit, celebrating their 15th year, CTW provides professional clothing and image consulting for job seekers in Montgomery County.  For $5 a vote you can help select the Best Legs.  Voting in the contest continues until May 10th and contestant Jim Danis is really taking the competition seriously, offering to put company logo’s on his legs for a $100 donation.  If your company is looking for some additional exposure at an affordable rate for a good cause, my legs are the place for them,” explained Danis. “Truly, this is a fun event and I’m trying to raise as much money as I can to help support Clothes That Work, because Clothes That Work has provided so much support to thousands of people in our community.”  He raised $200 at  Monday’s Dayton Rotary meeting  and shared that if he got to $500 Square One Salon has offered to wax his legs for free!  

The winner of the Best Legs Contest will be announced after the 6th annual Hunks in Heel race at The Green on Saturday, May 11th.  There’s still time to join the Hunk racers, with over 100 men scheduled to  race around The Greene in high heels in support of the important women in their lives. Event festivities being at noon on May 11. For a registration form, please visit:http://www.clothesthatwork.org/events-2/events.html.  Fans are invited to join the crowd for this fast paced fun filled afternoon.  As in years past, the patio’s of Brio and McCormick and Schmick will be filled with cheering sections for the teams of racers.   From past experience I’d like to share that often the shoe selection by the runners is often the most entertaining part of the event!  I’ll be calling the race along with event co-chair Todd Crawford and look forward to see what surprises the racers have in store for us.  Over the years,  teams have  come out in themed costumes, in drag, with with matching pedicures, who knows what we’ll see this year. 

You can also support CTW by purchasing a raffle ticket online or at the event  for $5  for a  “Do Dayton” Staycation! One winner will  win  a Dayton experience package that includes:

$100 Gift Certificate to Thai 9

Dayton Dragons Suite – Sunday July 28th

Hunks in Heels - 2010

Hunks in Heels – 2010

One Night Stay at Inn Port B&B in the Oregon District

3 Month Membership to Dayton Racquet Club PLUS $50 Dinner Gift Certificate

4 Tickets to the Warhol Exhibition at the Dayton Art Institute

A World Affair passes

$10 Gift Certificate to Deaf Monty’s Wine Shop at Inn Port

4 Tickets to the Vectren Jazz and Beyond series at the Dayton Art Institute

One Hour Massage – Square One

2 Passes to the Neon Movies

$50 Gift Certificate to Brim Hat Shop

$25 Gift Certificate to Oregon Express

2 Free Passes to Practice Yoga

$20 Gift Certificate to Serendipity Bistro

$20 Gift Certificate to Clash

2 Personal Fashion Stylist Consultations at Sew Dayton

Free Haircut at Derailed Hair Salon

One Free Piercing at Glenn Scott Tattoo

2 Passes to Muse Machine 2014 Musical

 

Dayton Fashion Week Gives Back

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When you think of the Fashion Industry as a whole, the first thoughts that probably come to mind are the vain egotistical plots and twist of the hit movie The Devil Wears Prada. Though bits and pieces of that movie may be true for some but in actuality behind that thin veneer of superficiality is one of the most philanthropically known industries in this country.  Whether it’s Ralph Lauren’s Pink Pony Fund to fight breast cancer, to Ken Coles AmFar Foundation for AIDS Research, to Gucci’s partnership with UNIECF, giving back has always been a key component of the Fashion Industry.

If you’ve ever visited the Facebook page of Dayton Fashion Week you’ll notice that we are listed as a Community Organization.  When I first came on board at DFW in October 2011, Junda and I both emphasized the importance of not just giving back but reaching out to the people of the Miami Valley.  For me it was second nature to be active in the community, I’ve been a volunteer since the age of 12, volunteering for such organizations as The Buckeye Trails Girl Scout Council as a Camp Aide, to the Anpo O Project which delivers school supplies the Standing Rock Reservation in S.Dakota where the dropout rate for students is 85%, to The Action Youth Outreach Program which teaches entrepreneurial skills for inner city and “at-risk” youth using STEM Curriculum, to being a Guest Speaker for the My Beauty is Priceless Seminars which teaches young girls tools of empowerment from spirituality, cooking,  education, and personal appearance,  not to mention I sign up to volunteer for almost every event that takes place in the City of Dayton!

For Junda, who is new to the area this would serve as her opportunity to see just how great the people of the City of Dayton and surrounding areas are.  Since word of Dayton Fashion Week broke Junda has been blown away by all of the hospitality, support, and encouragement that everyone has shown towards our Inaugural event!  During our first two casting calls, we collected can goods for the Dayton Food Pantry and doesn’t stop there–we are very happy to present Dayton Fashion Week Gives Back!   On Saturday May 19 we will be launching the first of many outings geared towards giving back to the community and raising awareness for important causes starting with our models and staff taking part in a build for Habitat for Humanity http://www.daytonhabitat.org.

Dayton Fashion Week Models pose for pictures during Urban Nights

As a producer for 91.3 FM WYSO’s Community Voices, I’ve been working on a story about The Vision Keepers and The Circle of Courage  re-entry and recovery program which is a local non-profit organization that provides clothing, bus tokens, emergency toiletries and support groups.  Founded by the late Dr. Robin Herman, the organization is now headed up by the 2011 Justice Award recipient Khadijah Ali and falls under the 2011 Dayton’s Ten Top Women Award recipient MaryAnn Angel’s Two Tree organization, http://www.twotreesinc.org/vision_keepers.shtml.  Dayton Fashion Week will host a fundraiser for this organization in August of 2012. More details will be announced soon.

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m very cautious of the company that I keep and I apply those same life rules to DFW and I’m honored to be amongst such good company.  I’ve heard several models refer to Dayton Fashion Week as a family and I can honestly say that we probably have the most amazing team filled with positive, caring and supportive people who aside from our love for fashion we are also into building each other up and building lasting bonds and friendships.

Since our Pre-Launch Party in March the models have been asking us to get together for a fun outing sp that we can spend more time getting to know each other and it was suggested that we form a team and be a part of the Mud Volley for Epilepsy.  So when I called the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio to inquire about what was needed to form a team I was a surprised when the Director asked us to do more than just form a team she wanted us to form a partnership–after all we’re both very small organizations, and both heavily dependent on volunteers so we came up with a couple of ideas about how we can help each other out we will be providing more details soon but in the meantime be sure to sign your team up at http://www.daytonmud.com.  We hope to see you all on July 14!!

July 24 will mark the official start of Dayton Fashion Week and we will be kicking things off with Fashion for a Cause!  This event will consist of a silent auction, live entertainment, and a local celebrity fashion show.  Proceeds from this event will go to our charitable partners Clothes That Work http://www.clothesthatwork.org and Hospice of Dayton http://www.hospiceofdayton.org .  This event will take place from 6pm-9pm at the Dayton Masonic Temple located at 525 W. Riverview Ave., Dayton OH 45405.

July 28 does not mark the end of Dayton Fashion Week’s activities for 2012.  We are 100% committed to being a part of the revitalization of Dayton and the entire Miami Valley year round. For more details about how you can help out with these worthy causes please click on the links provided and for more information on Dayton Fashion Week Gives Back please “Like” our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/daytonfashion.

 

 

 

 

 

Jane’s Best Bets (10/26 – 10/30)

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Pumpkins Courtesy of My Mom

Halloween is right around the corner!  Hopefully you have your costume and are ready for some good scares this week…as well as some good fun!

On Wednesday, hang out in Oakwood for The Nights of the Arts.  Do all those political commercials have you confused on how to vote on election day?  If so, make your way to the Updayton Candidate Forum.  Or make your way to the Schuster Center for Tyler Perry’s ‘The Haves and the Have Nots’.

On Thursday, support a great cause by attending the Clothes That Work Fashioning Futures Modeling Success Luncheon at Sinclair’s Ponitz Center.  Get out that Halloween costume and join some great young professionals for the Generation Dayton Costume Party at The Moraine Embassy.  Enjoy Half-Price Wine Night at Coco’s Bistro…”wine not?”  At the Dayton Racquet Club, enjoy their Dinner & Goose Island Beer Tasting with New Chef Jack Skilliter.  And at the Victoria Theatre, you will be able to have An Evening with David Sedaris.

On Friday after work, participate in the Oregon Arts District Walking Tour.  There are plenty of spooky/Halloween-themed activities on Friday including the Halloween Party Wine Tasting at Emporium Wines/Underdog Cafe; Horrorama 2011 at Englewood Cinema; Ghosts, Cemeteries and Murders Walk at Courthouse Square; the Haunted Butcher House; Mayhem & Mystery Dinner Theatre: ‘Costume Carousing’ at the Spaghetti Warehouse; the Land Of Illusion Haunted Scream Park; and Slasher: A Horrifying Comedy at UD…I think I would need the comedy to put up with the horror.  And finally, in theater news, you will be able to see Lost in Yonkers (Dayton Theatre Guild) or Opera Theatre: Opera Scenes (Wright State).

On Saturday, if you’re a 5K runner with an extreme sense of adventure, then you will want to participate in the Swamp Stomp Mud Challenge Event.  You may not be able to afford a trip to Italy so instead, make your way to Jay’s Restaurant for their Italian Wine Luncheon.  Saturday is also all about Halloween, as it is the night for the famous Hauntfest in the Oregon District.  In addition to Hauntfest, there are many other Halloween-themed events/activities for Saturday including the  ‘PhilharMonster’ Halloween Concert at the Schuster Center; the 1st Annual Tailgate of Terror at the Yellow Cab Building; the 3rd Annual Boo & Bruise in the Oregon District; a Ghosts, Cemeteries and Murders Walk at Courthouse Square; Spooktacular at SideBar; the Dayton Philharmonic’s Bride of Frankenstein at the Schuster Center; and Howl-O-Ween at the Boonshoft Museum (a family friendly event).

On Sunday, make your back to the Oregon District (if you even left from Saturday night) for a Walking Tour.  Get a group together and enjoy a Segway Tour of Downtown Dayton.  (I was actually just talking to some people who went on one of these and said it was a fun experience!)  And if you enjoy theater, then check out Lost in Yonkers (Dayton Theatre Guild) or Monty Python’s Spamalot (Schuster Center).

And now it’s time for the Dumb Joke of the Week. Drum roll please…

What do you call a witch at the beach?  A sand-witch.

These are just a few best bets from the DMM Calendar.  There are plenty more events listed there, so if you haven’t, I encourage you to check it out today!  Also, if you have an event to share or promote, please submit it– it’s great marketing and better yet, it’s FREE!  And finally, if you have a dumb joke to share, I’m all ears!

Have a great week Dayton!

Share The Power Of The Suit

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It’s time once again to clean out your closet and donate your gently-used professional clothing to help men and women enter the workforce.  For the fourth year Men’s Warehouse is partnering with Clothes That Work to help disadvantaged job seekers get a boost of self-confidence during the fourth annual National Suit Drive, the country’s largest collection of gently used business attire.

The suits will provide  men  with a fresh start and the ability to go into an interview feeling confident and well equipped to put into practice their new skills.  Although the recession has affected a broad spectrum of the American workforce, more than 70 percent of job losses have befallen men, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, due to the economy’s particularly heavy impact on male-dominated industries such as construction and manufacturing.

“With nearly one out of ten working-age men unemployed in this country, the weak economic recovery has disproportionately hurt the male workforce,” said George Zimmer, Men’s Wearhouse founder and CEO. “By collecting and donating professional clothing, Men’s Wearhouse aims to help men ‘suit up’ for job interviews and give them an important boost of confidence that will help them reach their goals.”

Nationally, Men’s Wearhouse hopes to collect more than 100,000 articles of clothing to benefit charities like Clothes That Work.  To thank donors for their generosity, Men’s Wearhouse will reward them with 50% off a purchase at Men’s Wearhouse and will donate a tie for every suit received in the month of August.  And besides clothing,  for every “like” on Facebook, Men’s Wearhouse will donate $1 to the cause, up to $10,000.

Can You Help Others Dress For Success?

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Clothes That Work is a grassroots non-profit that has been providing professional clothing, image counseling and training for job seekers in Montgomery County since 1998. More than 18,000 job seekers in need have benefited from the services provided by Clothes That Work.

In addition to providing interview appropriate clothing and training on how to dress for work, they also conduct seminars, give interviewing tips and coach on exhibiting appropriate professional behavior. By focusing on the skills our clients need to be competitive in the interview process, they help instill the confidence necessary to succeed.

Clothes That Work is currently seeking volunteers to assist in the areas of personal shopper, Boutique sales and inventory management.
Personal Shopper: Provide customers with the interview or work attire, support and encouragement to approach the workplace with confidence.

Openings every week:
Wednesday 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Thursday 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Boutique Sales Associate: Coordinate attractive, colorful displays, price merchandise and aid customers with their purchases.

Openings alternating week:
Tuesday 12:30 to 3:00 PM
Wednesday 9:45 AM to 12:30 PM
Thursday 9:45 AM to 12:30 PM
Friday 9:45 AM to 12:30 PM
Inventory Management: Solicit and maintain a steady supply of clothing and accessories, collect and manage individual and corporate clothing donations; Transport clothing from drop sites, assure that customers receive top quality clothing and accessories appropriate for job interviews; Sort, repair, straighten, and display merchandise.

Openings every week:
Monday 12:30 to 3:00 PM
Tuesday 12:30 to 3:00 PM
Wednesday 10 AM to 12:30 PM & 12:30 to 3:00 PM
Thursday 9:45 AM to 12:30 PM & 12:30 to 3:00 PM
Friday 12:30 to 3:00 PM

Interested applicants may complete a volunteer application online or contact Melanie Tullis or phone 937-222-3778 ext.170.

Jane’s Best Bets (5/11 – 5/15)

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My Awesome GenD Day Team at DVAC!

I hope you had a terrific week!  Thanks to all who “got out” and “gave back” this past Friday for Generation Dayton Day…it was a huge success!  Dayton is fortunate to have many wonderful young professionals!  This week, be sure to “get out” again, as there are many great things going on in our community!

On Wednesday, find out how trash can be turned into treasure with the exhibit, ‘Trash? Look Again’ at the Dayton Art Institute.  For some great networking, attend Business After Hours at Dayton Convention Center.  Afterwards, head to Fifth Third Field as the Dragons play the Lake County Captains or to Wiley’s for Dirty Little Secret Sanitarium.  If you’ve had a crazy day and need to relax a bit, make your way to The Wine Gallery for their Weekly Wine Tasting.

On Thursday, attend the Junior League of Dayton Town Hall Lecture Series at the Schuster Center, featuring Gina Barreca, a best-selling author who will keep you laughing.  Over at the Dayton Visual Arts Center, attend their Gallery Talks, in which artists Maureen Schaffer and Deborah Barr will talk about their art.  While you’re there, check out the fantastic spackling/sanding/paint job my GenD Day team did there!  Meet fellow Gen D’ers (a.k.a. fantastic young professionals!) at the Generation Dayton Thirsty Thursday at The Pub at The Greene.  ALL young professionals are welcome!  Also at The Greene, if you’re hungry for some delicious food, make your way to McCormick & Schmick’s for their Benziger Wine Dinner.  At Oregon Express, you will be able to grab a beer and learn about religion as part of Dayton Theology on Tap.  While there, be sure to have some of their amazing pizza!  I had some this past weekend and it was delicious!  And finally, don’t delay in getting your tickets to watch the Dragons as they play the Lake County Captains at Fifth-Third Field.

On Friday, downtown is THE place to be, even if you call the suburbs home.  The main attraction is Urban Nights, which is a free event in which you will be able to see downtown’s dining, nightlife, art, music, retail, urban living options, and MUCH more.  It only happens twice a year, so don’t miss your chance to attend this huge downtown open house!  For more info, be sure to become a fan of the “Urban Nights” fan page.  Urban Nights truly has something for everyone, so that is really my only best bet for Friday.  If you’re not there, you’re missing out…and I’m going to leave it at that!

On Saturday, all you car lovers will want to drive to the Webster Street Market for the British Car Meet (not to be confused with “meat,” although I’m sure they’ll have that too!).  Many of our dogs may have gained a few pounds over the cold/snowy winter since they haven’t been able to get out and exercise.  So, get them moving at the Furry Skurry 2011 at Miami Valley Hospital South to support the Humane Society.  If you don’t have a furry friend, you can still walk as part of the Walk Away From Violence event at RiverScape MetroPark, in which funds raised will benefit the Artemis Center, which helps to raise funds for victims of domestic violence.  At The Greene, watch the Hunks in Heels race, all the while supporting Clothes that Work.  This should be a super fun event!

Photo Credit: Andy Snow

Support Dayton Children’s Medical Center by attending Cha-Cha: Reasons to Celebrate at Sinclair’s Ponitz Center, which will feature live entertainment, fine dining, and both live and silent auctions!  You will be able to contribute to the Breast Cancer Foundation of Dayton by attending the 2nd Annual Sis-Boom-Ball at St Paul’s Episcopal Church.  All you “creatives” will want to attend The Sideshow VI at Garden Station Community Garden and Art Park.  At the Dayton Convention Center, the Come to the Cabaret – DCDC’s Soulstice event will be happening, which will include a wonderful mixture of live music, casino games, dancing, and dance performances by the amazing DCDC (although it says “D.C.” twice, they are actually located in Dayton…and we are so blessed to have them!).  If you enjoy watching dance but are on a strict budget, consider attending Order My Steps at Stivers Schoool for the Arts.  At the Schuster Center, you will be able to see the Dayton Philharmonic’s ‘Bernstein’s MASS’.  In addition, other options for Saturday include Honk! Jr. at Town Hall Theatre, Mauritius at the Dayton Theatre Guild, and The Women of Lockerbie at Sinclair’s Blair Hall Theater.

On Sunday, start the morning off with Sunday Brunch at The Barnsider…I’m hoping the lines won’t be as long since it’s not Mother’s Day!  Sunday also has several theater options, including  42nd Street at WSU’s Festival Playhouse, The Women of Lockerbie at Sinclair’s Blair Hall Theater, Honk! Jr.at Town Hall Theatre, and Mauritius at the Dayton Theatre Guild.  And if you love beer, you won’t want to miss PubFest at The Pub at The Greene!

And now it’s time for the Dumb Joke of the Week. Drum roll please…

Why did the mouse run under the beer truck?  Because he wanted to get smashed.

These are just a few best bets from the DMM Calendar.  There are plenty more events listed there, so if you haven’t, I encourage you to check it out today!  Also, if you have an event to share or promote, please submit it– it’s great marketing and better yet, it’s FREE!  And finally, if you have a dumb joke to share, I’m all ears!

Have a great week Dayton!

Hunks & Heals and Beads, Oh My!

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Vince Corrado, 2009 Best Legs Champion

It takes a real man to strut his stuff in a pair of high heels and Clothes That Work (CTW)  has been lucky enough to repeatedly count on some truly philanthropic guys in our community.  On Tues, March 8th photographer Andy Snow will be doing a photo shoot, capturing the contestants for the 20111 Online Best Leg Competition at The Wine Loft at The Greene. Last year’s online contest raised over $4000, one $5 vote at a time, to allow CTW to continue to empower job seeker with clothing and confidence.

Friends and fans of these hunks are invited to join the fun and start the voting for our 2011 Hunks in Heels as we host a kick off party from 5 -7pm. Admission is $20 per guest and will include appetizers, 2 glasses of wine or beer, and 2 mardi gras bead necklaces (it is Fat Tuesday, after all).  Guests can award the beads to their choice for best legs!  Additional beads (votes) will be available for $5 each.

Confirmed Hunks include:

Marty Beyer, Partner, Sebaly Shillito + Dyer

Ron Burdge, Attorney, Burdge Law Office

Sean Costello, Assistant IP Manager, Freund, Freeze & Arnold

Sherif Hedayat, Owner at Erratic Media Group

Richard Kaiser, Marketing Strategist at Penny/Ohlmann/Neiman

Bill Pote, Publisher at DaytonMostMetro.com

Kevin Round, General Manager of the Dayton Racquet Club

Troy Singer, P&G Relationship Manager at Hooven-Dayton Corp

Bryan Suddith, Executive Director, Greater Dayton Chapter at A Kid Again

Mark Williams, Chief Executive Officer, Partner at Elements IV Interiors

CJ Webster, Regional Sales Manager at LexisNexis Group & Generation Dayton Representative

and more being added every day!

If you know a hunk we need to include just send us an email and we’ll see what we can do to recruit them.    Can’t make the party on Fat Tuesday?  Don’t worry- we’ll have the online voting up soon after the party for you to check out Dayton’s Best Legs!

Be sure to put May 14th on your calendar for the actual Hunks in Heels race held on the square at The Greene.  Last year we had over 150 hunks competing, we expect even more this year!

In the meantime, enjoy highlights from last year:

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL8ZfiNj0dk&feature=player_embedded']

Fairy Godmothers wanted!

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Going to the Senior Prom is the highlight of mostly every student’s high school experience, especially for girls.  There is nothing more fun for girlfriends to do then to going shopping for dresses made of chiffon, sequins and rhinestone jewels and then go looking all around town or out of town for the perfect shoes and matching clutch purse.

It is a magical time in every high school girl’s life and one of her most memorable. For one night, she is Cinderella. It is a night that every girl should experience but may not due to financial constraints. Like Cinderella, some girls need a fairy godmother to make this dream come true.

Fairy Godmother Project

Therefore, Clothes That Work, in partnership with the Dayton Chapter of The Links, Inc, is hosting the Fairy Godmother Project.  This project allows women to be a fairy godmother to underprivileged local high school girls by donating new and gently used prom gowns, shoes and accessories for the girls to wear. The goal is to make the girls feel like princesses for this very special occasion!

Be a part of the Fairy Godmother Project! Clothes That Work is accepting donations of dresses, shoes and accessories until March 11, 2011 at the following locations: Clothes That Work (1133 S Edwin C Moses Blvd, Suite 392,  Monday – Friday 9am -3pm), The Oakwood Florist (2313 Far Hills Ave, Dayton, Ohio 45419) and Lutheran Church of Our Savior (155 E Thruston Blvd., Dayton, Ohio 45409).

Clothes That Work

The girls will be fitted for their dresses and shoes while eating cake and drinking punch on March 12, 2011 at the Clothes That Work offices.

Last year’s highlight was hearing from the father of one of the beautiful young girls. As the daughter was packing up her dress the father came over and said:

“Thank you for doing this. I had been going crazy trying to figure out how I was going to afford to send her to the prom and thanks to you I don’t have to worry anymore. Today you have not only made my daughter feel like a princess, but you’ve made me feel like Prince Charming.”

For more information contact: Lacie Sims, Marketing & Events Manager, 937-222-3778 x150, Lacie.sims@clothesthatwork.org

CTW Boutique Holiday Open House

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Please mark your calendar to join us for our

Annual Holiday Open House

in the

Clothes That Work Boutique

November 10

from 3 – 6:30pm.

There will be a drawing for a fabulous Kathy Van Zeeland handbag and other surprises throughout the evening. We will have our festive assortment of holiday sweaters on display, some are classic and beautiful and some are, well, that perfect gag gift for the person who has everything.

We will also have our Better Bar well stocked for some great holiday finds.  The Boutique has never looked better and our elves have gotten a great start on making sure that you find something you just can’t live without each time you visit.

**15% off your purchase if you bring in a donation of new men’s dress socks,

boxers, belts, personal care items, and gloves and scarves.

Clothes That Work Boutique is located in the Job Center at  1133 S. Edwin C Moses Blvd.  Call 222-3778 for more info!