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DECEMBER 2010
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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Thanks to Our "Star -Throwers"
This story is familiar to many of you, but it's worth sharing again -- after all, it is about you.
 A woman walked the beach during an exceptionally low tide. Thousands of starfish were stranded and dying in the hot sun. As she walked, every few feet she picked up a starfish and threw it into the water.
A jogger asked "What are you doing? There have to be thousands more along hundreds of other beaches? You can't possibly make a difference!" As the woman tossed another starfish into the water, she said "It made a difference to this one."
This is what Dress for Success Charlotte -- with your help -- is all about. This year, 800 new clients have come through our doors. Each of these women has been treated with dignity and respect because YOU stopped to make a difference by writing a check to support programs and services, working one-on-one or participating in an event or project.
On behalf of Dress for Success Charlotte, our Board of Directors, and the thousands of women who have crossed our threshold, thank you. Our best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season and to our continued partnership in 2011.
-- Kerry Barr O'Connor
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YEAR-END
GIVING OPTIONS
Please consider including Dress for Success Charlotte in your year-end giving.
In addition to cash, checks and online gifts, Dress for Success Charlotte can accept gifts of stocks. To direct gifts of stock, please provide your broker with Merrill Lynch DTC #5198. The account is Dress for Success Charlotte.
If you have any questions or need more information, please call Kerry Barr O'Connor at 704-525-7706.
For the fifth year in a row, Charity Navigator rates Dress for Success as 4-star charity (the highest rating).
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DONATION 911:
URGENT NEED!
We remain in dire need of plus-size clothing for clients, especially sizes 3X-5X.
Please contact us as soon as possible: 704-525-7706 or click here to email.
Another way to help: Buy a gift card at Catherine's, Belk, Dilliard's or another retailer that offers plus size clothing.
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SAVE THE DATE
THURSDAY, JAN. 20
Kristen Dibble kicks off our Wine, Cheese & $20, Please parties kick off next month by hosting a meeting on the new fundraiser at
6 p.m. at the Dress for Success Charlotte Boutique and Career Transformation Center.
The concept: Present guests with wine and cheese and ask them to donate $20 (or whatever amount they choose) to Dress for Success Charlotte.
To RSVP or for more information: [email protected].
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VOLUNTEER
NEWS
We have more than 40 style consultants who volunteer on a regularly scheduled basis.
Our volunteers put in more than 500 hours each month, working with our clients as style consultants, in our career center, in the warehouse with inventory, and on special events and projects.
Plus, since June, we've received 148 volunteer applications!
Our newest corporate workshop partnerships include:
- Carolinas Healthcare System Community Involvement Committee.
- Century Parkside Apartments
- Lee Hecht Harrison
- University of Phoenix
Thanks to each and every one of you for your much-needed support!
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BOARD
SPOTLIGHT
Angie Allred (center) with Board member Colletta Bryce and finance committee volunteer Allison Cummings.
Board Member Angie Allred is rotating off after serving as treasurer for the past three years. During that time, she has donated hundreds of hours to help manage the books and finances for Dress for Success Charlotte, and served on the Beyond the Boutique Steering Campaign, and the Look At Her Power Committee.
Thanks to Angie's hard work, we earned the 2008 Rookie of the Year Award for Best Practices in every area of the operation, plus a 100% Standards of Accountability rating with Dress for Success Charlotte for the past three years.
Thank you, Angie!
Photo: � Jim Pierson
of Jim Pierson Photography
www.jimpierson.com
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N.C. Governor's Conference for Women
From left: Pat Nathan, founder of Dress for Success Triangle; Kerry Barr O'Connor, executive director of Dress for Success Charlotte; Joi Gordon, CEO of Dress for Success World Wide; N.C. Governor Beverly Purdue; and Glynis Bell, executive director of Dress for Success Winston-Salem.
As the official charity of choice, Dress for Success had a large presence Nov. 9 at the N.C. Governor's Conference for Women in Raleigh, which had more than 1,500 attendees. Dress for Success Charlotte joined the affiliates fromthe Triangle and Winston-Salem at the event.
Dress for Success Worldwide Chief Executive Officer Joi Gordon spoke on a panel that focused on "Investing in Girls and Women."Click here to watch an interview with Gordon. As part of our partnership with the conference, Dress for Success affiliates each received five scholarships for clients to attend. "The Hall of Fame aspect of the conference was very inspiring... leaving me with the desire to achieve higher," said Karen Kyei-Fordjour, one of our recipients and Professional Women's Group member.
We are grateful to ...: - Mary Tribble of Tribble Creative for her on-going support.
- Goodrich Corporation for providing additional tickets to the conference. This gift allowed seven more clients and volunteers to attend.
- Andie MacDowell for graciously speaking at the luncheon about how important the work of the organization is to women in our communities.
- Wachovia, a Wells Fargo Company for providing each affiliate an additional $5,000 grant to help support programs and services.
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CLIENTS FIND WORK
We rang the bell 11 times in November!
We had employment suitings in the Boutique for 11 women who accepted job offers in November: Quanita, Ruth, Bonita, Dominique, Majidah, Dorothy, Vanessa, Lakisha, Nakiyyah, Brenda and Dianne.
Congratulations! We're so very proud of you!
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FUND-RAISERS
 THE POWER WALK: Our first 5K will be Saturday, May 7, at Freedom Park. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., the walk begins at 8:30 a.m. Erica Bryant (left) of WSOC-TV will serve as honorary chair, and Lorie Robinson as chair. Interested in being a team captain or serving on the planning committee? Send an email to [email protected] and put "Power Walk" in the subject line.
 SAVE THE DATE: Look At Her Power will be Sept. 15 at the Southern Women's Show. Volunteers are needed for the planning committee. Interested? Send an email to [email protected] with "Look At Her Power" in the subject line.
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Global Entrepreneur Week and Tory Burch
Linda (left) and Sierra Curtis
In honor of Global Entrepreneur Week, Tory Burch invited the women of Dress for Success to kick-off the holiday season at each of her boutiques around the country!
In addition to a clothing donation valued at up to $500, Linda and Sierra Curtis represented our affiliate by turning on the light of the reindeer image in the Tory Burch boutique at South Park Mall on Friday, Nov. 19. Sierra and Linda are both active members of our Professional Women's Group.
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VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION
Theatre Charlotte Event
a Great Success!
 In October, our Dress for Success Charlotte volunteers and staff were invited to watch the final dress rehearsal of Theatre Charlotte's production of "Steel Magnolias," through the generosity of Michelle Gutt, Theatre Charlotte Chair Elect, and Ron Law, Executive Director, and with help from Madia Barber, our volunteer coordinator.
Ron's and Michelle's gift to Dress for Success Charlotte allowed us the opportunity to enjoy a great play about strong southern women and thank our strong southern female volunteers at the same time.
Theatre Charlotte provides also worked with the Juvenile Diabetes Association in Charlotte on this production, much of which is about the struggles many people have with diabetes.
Demonstrations of genuine and thoughtful kindness like this one are part of what makes Charlotte a great place to live.
Click here for upcoming plays and ticket availability from Theatre Charlotte.
Thank you,
Sue Breckenridge
Board of Directors President
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