Dress for Success offers help to women who lost clothes in hurricane

Sure, Hurricane Dolly spoiled food, rotted wooden homes and ushered in outbreaks of mold, but the forgotten and overlooked casualties were the wardrobes of working women.

Anticipating the paradox low-income women could face in the wake of the storm as they work to earn money to rebuild their lives, one local nonprofit group is offering help to restock closets.

Dress for Success Rio Grande Valley, a Pharr-based organization that normally provides clothing for low-income women interviewing for new jobs, has opened their well-stocked closet of hand-me-downs to any woman who lost work attire.

Its office is located at 1100 E. Business 83.

"Seeing the images of the damage done to so many in South Texas deeply saddens me," group Board President Bonnie Loflin said in a statement. "We feel an obligation to extend that offer of hope to the many that are disillusioned or lost right now."

Typically, the organization offers clothes to women seeking jobs who are referred by another nonprofit, government or education agency. Additionally, the organization closely monitors their employment, offers career counseling and advises women about appropriate dress and use of cosmetics.

The group, which separated from Dress for Success Corpus Christi in 1999, is funded by grant money from the cities of McAllen and Edinburg. Most of the group's $200,000 expenses last year, however, came from fundraising.

The clothes are donated.

Elizabeth Mendoza is a secretary at the organization, a client and to a lesser degree a style consultant.

With her 4-month-old son, Nicholas, asleep in the office, the 21-year-old rifled through the racks that offer clothes for almost any body type or size.

"There's nice stuff. (The group) gave me a lot of clothes for my first interview," Mendoza said. "Now, I help other women."

Sean Gaffney covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4434.