Las Vegas West Rotary Club
October 23, 2012
We had a terrific speaker today, Paula Lawrence, who is the Southern Nevada Executive Director for Dress For Success. Dress for Success was founded in New York City by a young woman in 1997 who, upon graduation from law school, received a $ 5,000 inheritance from her grand mother. Desiring to do something great with the money, she went to her Catholic church to ask advice. The out shoot was an organization to help dis-advantaged women obtain suitable clothes for a job interview. The scope has grown to include resume writing, interviewing and and training which results in self confidence.
In southern Nevada Paula networks with places such as Job Connect who send her clients, and receives donations of clothing and money. They have set up a boutique, which Lynn Purdue says rivals any top retail clothing store. Lynn has volunteered to teach resume writing and has had "Rotary Moments" in the process. When a client arrives at the boutique (photo attached) they are assigned an Image Consultant to help with the selection process. It is a thorough process, and includes job training for various industries, so that the client become employees of the highest order. Walmart offered their training manuals for the classes. Believing that their mission is to start careers, not just help clients find a job, they started PWG, Professional Women's Group, which meets monthly with speakers and support. They will dress 200 women this year and plan to double that next year. Houston, in their 8th year, dressed 5,000 women, and the organization has helped over 600,000 world wide.
Paula is such a wonderful, enthusiastic speaker it is impossible not to be impressed with the program. Dress for Success in southern Nevada was started by Paige Candee, an associate of Lynn's who has worked with our club on our golf tournament and visited many times. Their firm encourages all their employees to be active in the community, and Paige decided to start her own non-profit rather than become involved in an existing one. I think she really hit a home run.
Also attached is a photo of Miss Nevada at West Prep, courtesy of Tom Novotny, and a shot of Ken Fong's "seconds" at lunch, a plate filled with shrimp cocktails, which obviously resulted in a cross fine. His reputation is intact. The food at recent meetings rivals what we had years ago - kudos to the new chef. There is a board meeting Thursday at noon at the Porchlight Grill at Durango and Deseret Inn in a Vons shopping center. All members are invited to attend.
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