Blogging for Good: Dress for Success Southern Maine

This week, Corey Templeton of Portland Daily Photo asked a handful of Portland bloggers to take some time out of their busy blogging/holiday schedules and acknowledge a not for profit organization worthy of their attention (and dollars?). 


I could talk about SPACE Gallery, the Telling Room or public radio (some of my favorites and heavy hitters in town), but I know there is an organization that needs my recognition even more: Dress for Success Southern Maine. 

The mission of Dress for Success is to help disadvantaged women re-enter the workforce. 


Picture this: you are interviewing candidates for a position at your awesome company. Someone comes in dishevelment, anxious, and then you found out that she just got out of rehab. Or has been out of the workforce because she's been on welfare and couldn't afford childcare for her kids and work. Or, she was in prison. 


Now picture a confident looking woman who comes in, dressed in appropriate interview attire and of her gap in employment says, "I was out of work for a little while dealing with some personal issues, but I'm focused and ready to get serious about my career. I want to work for your company." That's their goal. They work with women to help them get the confidence they need to succeed in life. It starts with women looking themselves in the mirror, dressed for success. Since their inception, Dress for Success Southern Maine has suited over 1,000 women. 


I have some first-hand experience with the subject matter. My sister is a struggling, single mom. I've been on food stamps since I lost my full-time job last year. Disclaimer, I interned there this fall. However, my internship is technically over and I'm still volunteering because I believe in what we're doing. Sometimes when I update the testimonials on the website, I get a little  teary-eyed. I mean, I'm overly emotional. Just read some of these:

“I found your place to be incredibly wonderful!  Everyone there was sensitive and respectful -- fun, helpful suggestions, laughter making the experience such a positive one!  I have felt so much more confident knowing I had a beautiful new and modern outfit.  Thank you for your help.  It is SUCH an encouraging and confidence boosting place.” "Thank you so much for helping me.  From the time I arrived, it was a great experience and I walked out feeling better about myself.  The people at Dress for Success Southern Maine are so helpful and kind.  Thank you.”

“When I’m in a suit I feel like I’m getting there.  I might not be there yet, but I’m well on my way.”

"Women in active addiction lose so much. When they arrive in treatment with Crossroads, they are addressing many crucial areas of their lives all at once; their addiction, their mental health issues, health problems, family and childcare problems, legal issues and all with limited economic resources. More importantly is the loss of confidence, dignity and hope.   Dress for Success Southern Maine gives the women an opportunity to present themselves at interviews in a way that inspires hope, dignity and confidence. And the kind support that they receive when they go for their "personal shopping" appointment helps them feel a part of the greater community again - or for some, the first time."

Teresa Valliere, Director of Inpatient Services, Crossroads for Women

Collecting and sorting donations, maintaining the organization of the boutique, managing volunteers to be personal shoppers for the clients, planning fundraising events and professional women support groups- these things all take time and money. Donate to Dress for Success Southern Maine here. Learn more about volunteer opportunities here.

Food Stamps

The first time I went to the Department of Health and Human Services, it wasn't a trip I made willingly, like all trips to DHHS should be. Mandy called and begged me to go with her to re-up her food stamps. Over the course of the two hours we were there we met a Salt student living in the apartment my ex, a Salt alum, and I used to live, a tall friend who has since moved away, and a coworker from my old office. It was then that I first came to a startling realization: people who take advantages of social services aren't always unemployed single parents from Lewiston. People like me (sometimes) capable of holding down jobs (sometimes) need extra help, too!

Rewind to five years ago, when I first moved to Portland and thought I fell in love on the bus. The Greater Portland Metro Bus. If anyone reading this has ever been on the GPMB, you know how absolutely ridiculous this is- people on the bus are weird, smelly, sometimes downright scary. I've seen: a man give himself insulin injections on the bus, a man flashed someone ("I'm not surprised he couldn't keep it in- he was like, Long John Silver."), welfare moms, incredibly old people, a girl on the phone with her boyfriend telling him to stop threatening her with physical violence (next day, same girl, "No! You can not borrow a dollar!"), men talking about their recent time in jail or AA... I see a guy almost every day with two suitcases getting on and off different buses. It's worse than DHHS, and day to day it's better than the Social Security Office, but the SS office wins overall. (Another long, ridiculous story about my trip to SS.)

This guy wore Levi's jeans, had a big dark My Morning Jacket beard and I saw on his iPod that he was listening to Yo La Tengo. Sold. I had a job cold calling people, asking them to volunteer to raise money for charity. The only thing harder than asking people for money is asking them to ask other people for money. I was horrible and didn't last long. He and I rode the Number 4 to and from Westbrook together at like, eight o'clock in the morning. The ride was at least 40 minutes each way.

Before I quit on the same day I was getting fired, I was on my way home and a random bus person asked me if I was honestly wearing cowboy boots. Then asked me if I listen to country music, and I gave the standard yes, Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline. MMJ guy waited for random bus guy and asked me if he just asked me if I liked country music and we just kept talking.

The next day I brought MMJ guy to Bull Moose to meet Mandy, who stupidly invited him over for dinner because we were all positive that 21 year old virginal Amanda was going to fall in love with someone she met on the public transportation system because Portland is so urban! Turns out he was totally leading me on and had a girlfriend in Boston. The point of this story is that after seeing our dumpy apartment and realizing how little I was making at my job, he tried to convince me to apply for food stamps. I was insulted and embarrassed and did not. Food stamps were supposed to be for people who couldn't help themselves.

I was so wrong and please don't tell Paul LePage or Glenn Beck that I'm telling you this. I meet the requirements, and I signed up. Half of the customers at Rosemont on Munjoy Hill have food stamps, my best friend, one of my roommates, and me! I can afford meals other than Ramen, and occasionally I'll splurge on ginger beer for a cocktail party or fancy cheese, and I don't feel guilty because Maine is awesome. I am fully sustained and I buy local. Wasn't the state motto "The Way Life Should Be" at some point?