The latest news from Dress for Success Palm Beaches

March/April 2024

Hello Supporters & Friends:

Spring has sprung. And so did a West Palm Beach water main on, of all days, Friday, March 15th, the date of “Style for Hope.”

The gushing geyser caused a serious flood in the Kravis Center garage where guests were parked. But, it was a minor disruption to our major fundraising luncheon that netted us nearly $255,000 – 13% more than last year! Most vehicles were unscathed, but several of our volunteers and attendees waded through the knee-high water to rescue their cars and ended up missing the proceedings (including, sadly, our Volunteer of the Year, Laura Mindell). Nonetheless, the event was a hit! The audience was rapt as our featured client Rose Clark’s story of transformation from domestic abuse, homelessness, and despair to a restored real estate career and hopeful future unfolded in a brief video. Delivering a few words of thanks from the podium, she commented that Dress for Success was better to her than any husband could be. Hers was a hard act to follow, but our Style Icon honorees Tommy Hilfiger and Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger were extremely engaging in their onstage interview with WPTV anchor Shannon Cake, our amazing emcee. They discussed some very personal family as well as business revelations and underscored the commitment they share with DFSPB to the empowerment of women. We are deeply grateful for the generosity of our sponsors, donors and all attendees who made this stellar 10th anniversary edition of “Style for Hope” possible. (See photos below.)

As announced at “Style for Hope,” later this year we’ll be moving to a new and larger location at River Bridge Center, Forest Hill Boulevard and Jog Road in Greenacres. The space is double what we now occupy, enabling us to accommodate our growing enrollment in Road to Success and many other programs. Its accessibility is unbeatable: The shopping center is a bus stop for both north-south and east-west routes. What’s more, surrounded by so many other commercial businesses – stores, restaurants, health clubs – that operate well into the evening, we’ll be able to safely extend our own hours of service, which we know will be an attractive benefit for many of our clients.

Mark your calendars…Friday, April 12th and Saturday, April 13th…it’s our Spring Sale and that means very significant savings on very popular brands, such as Armani, Coach, Michael Kors and Kate Spade. A recent deluge of clothing donations (now that’s the kind of flooding we don’t mind) has yielded a whole new crop of fashion finds. Sale hours are Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at our 2459 South Congress Avenue Boutique.

Also coming up in April: The next 6-week term of Road to Success begins Wednesday, April 17. On Friday, April 19, we will be relaunching Keys to Success, a series of workshops offering CEU credits. Learn more about these personal development opportunities by contacting Jodi Cutler, jcutler@dressforsuccesspb.org, 561-249-3898.

I hope your March Women’s History Month was as meaningful as ours.

Forever grateful,

Joe Ann Fletcher

Executive Director

Dress for Success Palm Beaches

Greetings DFSPB Family,

Wow! Words cannot express how amazing the record breaking 2024 Style for Hope Luncheon was, led by the dynamic duo Co-chairs, Esther Perman and Denise O’Sullivan along with a stellar planning committee. This signature event was laced with the unimaginable and fully executed like no other. A big round of applause to this team and for the support of the Dress for Success Palm Beaches staff and Board of Directors for a monumental 10th year of the luncheon. I’d also like to express my sincere appreciation to our wonderful client spotlight, Rose Clark, WPTV News Channel 5 Anchor Shannon Cake, previous style icons who continue to support us, and of course our 2024 Style Icons, Tommy Hilfiger and Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger for their amazing contributions and support. Thank you!

The Style for Hope Luncheon, and all of our programs, align with our mission: The mission of Dress for Success is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. We strive to keep our mission at the forefront and make sure we empower women!

We recently had a very productive and successful staff and Board of Directors retreat. It was chock full of great ideas, methodologies and strategies that will make a positive impact and difference in the lives of the women we serve. A special thanks to our facilitator, Charlotte Pelton from Charlotte Pelton & Associates, Inc. We’re excited about the trajectory of the organization and are looking forward to fully executing our one to three year strategic plan.

Let’s keep the momentum going strong and please share your experience with others about Dress for Success Palm Beaches. By simply sharing your positive testimonials, you can help us galvanize support so we can further our efforts in Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties.

Always remember to thrive!

Lana Blackman

Upcoming Events

Young Executives for Success (YES) News

2023 Annual Report Now Available

An essential of every type of business, an Annual Report is especially vital for a nonprofit in helping define for prospective funders and donors the impact of their giving. It’s our primary accountability tool.

The 14-page DFSPB 2023 Annual Report, which was fully produced in-house, is now available in a print edition as well as digital.

Take a peek here.

Introducing the Speakers Bureau

The impossibility of cloning our remarkable DFSPB staff has led at long last to the creation of our Speakers Bureau. It was formed, in part, to respond to increasing requests from numerous groups, businesses, and organizations to have a DFSPB rep appear at their meetings or events and introduce their members to all that we do for the empowerment of women. Our new dream team also was assembled as we more aggressively conduct community outreach and expand the delivery of our message and services to Martin and Broward counties.

Debbie Freire, a longtime volunteer, is heading this initiative, and the other volunteer ambassadors on call for speaking engagements currently include: Tammera Atkins, Joanne Cresap, Linda Fisher, Paula Howard, Linda Jackson, Michelle Jaquez, Cathy Kasten, Tracy Kawa, Gretchen May, Gail Miller, Laura Mindell, Mindy Mora, Nilda Morales, Pam Rada, Nancy Rizzuto, Rhonda Russell, Henny Santo, Harmony Surinach, Sherry Thompson, and Andrene Williams.

Interested in joining? Contact Debbie Freire at (908) 809-3322 or Jodi Cutler at (561) 249-3898.

Help Ensure Our Future by Becoming a

Member of the Circle of Impact

Our Circle of Impact is a select group of current and former business leaders who have pledged an annual minimum donation of $1,000. Members are acknowledged for their generosity, their names appearing on a distinctive plaque at our headquarters, plus they enjoy several exclusive perks throughout the year. View our flyer here for more information or to donate, please visit our website.

Company Matching Grants

Many organizations offer a company match program for donations made by their employees to nonprofit organizations, and some even offer volunteer grants. If your employer offers such programs, please consider requesting a donation to Dress for Success Palm Beaches.

Charitable Bequest

Leave a legacy! Please consider adding a charitable bequest to our organization to your will. Be sure to designate our organization by our full name: Dress for Success Palm Beaches.

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DRESS FOR SUCCESS PALM BEACHES INC IS A 501(C)3. FL SOLICITATION #CH34892A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE, WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-HELPFLA, OR VIA THE INTERNET AT WWW.800HELPFLA.COM. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

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