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IN THIS ISSUE

Thank Yous

Thank you to all of the individuals who have supported us financially - we know most of you as friends. We also wish to thank the following businesses for their recent financial gifts.

Banana Republic (Gap Foundation)
BCIT Marketing Association
BCIT Student Association
Hydrex
JC Studios
Le Petit Spa
Oakridge Centre Mall
Pacific Palisades Hotel
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Provincial Employees Community Services Fund
Quantum Apparel
Sauder School of Business
Scotiabank
TELUS
VCC Faculty Association
Westbeach Apparel
Y.E.S!

“In-kind” gifts are essential to us, as well as all the personal clothing donations we have received. DFS Vancouver would like to thank the following companies for their recent and/or on-going help.

Arts Club Theatre
Blanche Macdonald Centre
Cadillac Fairview
Chatters Beauty Bar (New West)
Grey Vancouver/Warner Bros.
Laura McDonagh
Machine Marketing
Mills Basics
Pacific Centre Mall
Pacific Palisades Hotel
Plum
Royal Bank
Smartbrands"TEN" cosmetics
Sukis academy

Time is often the most important gift of all. Every one of our volunteers is essential to our operations. Additional thanks this month go to:

Blanche MacDonald Career College
Clarity Jane
PricewaterhouseCoopers
West Pacific Consulting Group 

Thank you to those in our community who have donated their nearly new clothing to us and to the following companies that have recently gathered clothing on our behalf.

Boboli
Fasken Martineau
Genesis Viscum
Ingledews
JC Studios
Park Royal Mall
Robert Half International


Spectra Energy
Style Agencies Ltd.
TELUS
TV show "The L Word"
TV show “Men in Trees”
Twist Fashions Inc.
Vancity Vixens

Contact Us


Dress for Success Vancouver
Mailing Address:
685 West Hastings Street, Mezzanine
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada V6B 1N9
Phone: 604-408-7923
vancouver@dressforsuccess.org

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"Our Mission is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life".

For more information on event sponsorship or to make a financial donation, please contact Dress for Success at Tel: 604-408-7923, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; or visit: www.dressforsuccess.org/vancouver

Executive Director, Deborah Twocock dfsvancouver.deborah@yahoo.ca

PWG Program Coordinator, Lucia Crosson dfsvancouver.lucia@yahoo.ca

Career Centre, Valerie Fernandez dfsvancouver.valerie@yahoo.ca

DFS VANCOUVER
E-NEWSLETTER CREDITS

Aaron Seminiano,
Web Designer
With a passion for his work, Aaron has delivered his expertise and time to the DFS Vancouver
e-newsletter project and has ensured that our newsletter is professionally designed.

Jen Taylor,
E-Newsletter Editor
Jen applies her strong communication skills to both writing for and editing the DFS Vancouver e-newsletter. Her love of organization and coordination ensure the project rolls-out on its deadlines.




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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Dress for Success Vancouver has long benefited from the great giving Vancouver community. Since starting nine years ago, we continue to receive more and more clothing from many generous women who know that by donating their recent fashionable shopping mistakes, they will be helping other local women.

People are also generous with their money when they understand the impact that Dress for Success Vancouver has on our community, through our Professional Women’s Group and our Career Centre.

A garden party I hosted in early September raised over $1000, contributed by around 30 people who attended, to help disadvantaged women in our community get and keep a job. That money will dress ten women from head-to-toe or put three women through the 18-month PWG program.

If you would like to help us assist disadvantaged women in our community to thrive in work and in life, please go to www.supportdfsvan.org and click on Donations. Whatever you can afford is much appreciated. Even $5 or $10 per month will make a big difference to the women that we support. If you donate $20 or more, DFS Vancouver will provide you with a tax-deductible charitable receipt.

I’d like to thank every one of our supporters for generously giving DFS Vancouver your monetary donations, your time, and/or your clothing.

Brenda Benham
Chair, Dress for Success Vancouver

Career Centre Success

 

  

Dress for Success Vancouver not only provides women with clothing for interviews, we do so much more! And these initiatives are only possible with the support of the community. The Career Centre, the newest of the three programs at Dress for Success Vancouver, has benefited greatly from the generosity of the community, particularly from several companies and organizations who, since January 2008, have hosted nine workshops.

The West Pacific Consulting Group (WPCG) lent their expertise to us and our clients over the summer months through three workshops on interview skills. After spending the morning working in “the shop” sorting through clothing and shoes, and vacuuming, the recruiters welcomed 15 clients into their interview workshop before breaking off into smaller groups. There, the clients had the opportunity to talk to Human Resource professionals, asking questions and learning tips on how to succeed in interviews.

Other organizations that have put on seminars for our clients include the BCIT Marketing Association, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Scotiabank. Their topics ranged from goal-setting, resumes and cover letters, to RRSPs.

If you are interested in getting involved with the Career Centre, please contact Valerie at dfsvancouver.valerie@yahoo.ca.

Valerie Fernandez

“Dress Me for Success” - DFS Vancouver’s 4th Corporate Challenge

October 22 marks the launch of our 4th Corporate Challenge, “Dress Me for Success,” at DFS Vancouver, located on Hastings Street. This year, corporate teams (and individuals) can participate on 2 different levels:

  • “Fundraise to Dress Me” has company teams combining innovative fundraising ideas with raffle ticket sales. Prizes go to fundraising innovation (want to host a bake sale?) as well as dollar amount per employee raised.

  • “Fundraise and Dress Me” adds a clothing drive to fundraising and raffle ticket sales. This level is limited to 15 corporate supporters (too many clothes at once can create problems).

The “Dress Me for Success” Corporate Challenge wraps up with a huge party at the Pacific Palisades Hotel on Robson Street on November 13. There will be prizes, the raffle draw, and what promises to be a hilarious scavenger hunt and “fashion competition” (I use that term loosely).

If your company (big or small) is interested in participating, please contact our office at Vancouver@dressforsuccess.org, and we’ll assign you a volunteer liaison. Be sure to visit our website for the list of participating companies/corporations.

Deborah Twocock

PWG Success Summit

 

  

Inspiring! Heart-warming! Hopeful! Sobering, sad, funny, amazing, resilient, uplifting, passionate - all adjectives that describe the intense 3-day PWG Success Summit held in LA in July, where I had the honour of representing PWG Vancouver.

Dress for Success Worldwide invites one member from each Professional Women’s Group (PWG) affiliate around the world to participate in the PWG Success Summit each year. PWG members receive leadership training and support and come home to implement a community project with their PWG colleagues, thus giving back to their community.

For PWG Summit participants, the journey to LA started with an employment crisis, a suit from DFS and 18 months of PWG meetings. We emerge from our protective PWG chrysalis to become the butterflies of change in our various PWG groups and communities. It’s not about the suit – it’s the agent of change that provides each woman with the courage to use the internal tools gathered over the years to improve our lives, and the lives of others.

PWG ladies shared their stories of tragedies eventually leading to triumphs - amazing stories of their dreams, vulnerabilities, challenges and hopes for brighter futures for themselves and their children. These tales made me more hopeful of a kinder, gentler world. I can truly say I’ll never be the same.

I look forward to working with my PWG colleagues to implement a project to give back to the community and hope to be able to inspire others to do the same.

Eloise Lloyd

Fundraising Fun … Just Say Y.E.S!


 

Y.E.S! (Young Executives for Success) is a fresh approach to networking and fundraising in Vancouver. Since its inception in September 2007, Y.E.S! has grown to over 350 members and put on six events with all proceeds going directly to Dress for Success Vancouver. Y.E.S! members network, learn, and raise money for DFS Vancouver at fashion shows, fitness venues, career development seminars, and more! Join us as a friend by visiting our website today!

United Way Supports DFS Vancouver

Many of you are in a workplace that supports a specific agency through the fall campaign and all United Way agencies are deserving of your support. If, however, your workplace does not target a specific group and you wish to contribute to DFS Vancouver through payroll deductions, simply indicate on your commitment form that your contribution is for DFS Vancouver, BN#87062 8229-RR001. We thank you, as every dollar helps!

Woman Of Worth Event

Celebrate the magnificence of women at the 5th annual Woman Of Worth (WOW) Event, featuring world-class speakers on health, wealth, leadership, inspiration, success, and soul. Because every woman … is a Woman Of Worth. A portion of proceeds goes to Dress For Success Vancouver.

The event takes place Sunday, October 26 at the Sheraton Wall Centre Grand Ballroom, Vancouver. To receive a special discount for Dress for Success Vancouver friends, go to http://www.thewowevent.com/contactus/reg-DFS.php

Play. Think. Laugh. Breathe.

Every Woman in the World presents Inspiring Women Through Physical Activity, a conference held in Vancouver, October 3-5. Experience a variety of physical activities from Tai Chi to belly dancing, along with seminars on topics such as Clearing the Clutter and Financial Planning, all in one weekend. Visit www.everywomanintheworld.com for more details.