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“MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E361 on March 12, 1998.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE
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HON. NEWT GINGRICH
of georgia
in the house of representatives
Thursday, March 12, 1998
Mr. GINGRICH. Mr. Speaker, I want to encourage my colleagues to read the following article about a woman in my district who is making a real difference in our community. Deborah Wolf, an attorney and the president of a personnel placement firm, founded a non-profit organization called ``Working Wardrobe.'' Working Wardrobe provides professional apparel for women facing domestic violence or victims of other economic hardships, thus enabling these women to feel confidant and look their best for interviews which hopefully lead to fulfilling career opportunities. As we look for ways to shrink the size and scope of government, Working Wardrobe is a shining example of how individuals and community can effectively and more efficiently help those in need. By emphasizing work, personal responsibility and a helping hand, welfare caseloads will continue to plummet, thus strengthening families and children and enabling even the neediest to participate in the American dream.
Helping Needy Women Dress for Work Success
(By Ernest Holsendolph)
Dressing for success is no frivolous matter in the business world, and it remains a critical factor for many job applicants. It can be the difference between getting a job or not. Just ask Deborah L. Wolf.
Wolf, a lawyer turned medical personnel placement specialist, said that more frequently than she cares to recall, many qualified, typically female, job seekers fail to get a job simply because they do not have appropriate clothing to wear.
``It is absolutely heartbreaking to see that happen,'' she said.
An article in Good Housekeeping magazine recently told about organizations around the country that gather clothing for people who want to work but can't afford the proper attire. Wolf, a person of action, has launched Working Wardrobe Inc. in the greater Atlanta area, just in time to help state agencies and others seal the final preparation for female newcomers to the work force.
What Wolf is doing, with the assistance of a growing number of volunteers, is an encouraging sign that private efforts will certainly buttress other work to help people by the thousands move from welfare and other forms of dependency to the workplace.
Working Wardrobe formally will open its doors during the last week of this month, and here is what it will do:
Receive and sort donated clothing from various sources that range from individual donors such as local television personalities and others, to donors like Macy's department store.
Interview and consult with women as they are referred by the state Department of Family and Children's Services or the Labor Department, having been trained and cleared for work.
Get them attired for their initial job interviews and for the first weeks of the job.
Wolf, who has operated her own business, All Medical Personnel, for six years, said she believes this kind of assistance will boost the confidence level of the inexperienced job seekers.
The idea has gotten quick positive response from people who can help. Noteworthy is the offer of 2,500 square feet of space by the Apparel Mart in downtown Atlanta where Wolf and her helpers can launch May 27 or thereabouts.
``This has been a marvelous donation, and just what we needed,'' Wolf said. The offices will be right there within eyesight of many top apparel markers and distributors. And the downtown location will be reachable by a maximum number of people who need the service because of the proximity to bus lines and the MARTA rail system.
``We want shelters and other organizations whose clients may need this service to be aware of us,'' Wolf said.
As the volunteer effort grows, Working Wardrobe will need ever larger sources of garments and other apparel, as well as volunteers to process clothing. The items they seek include skirt and pants suits; skirts, blouses, jackets and dresses; as well as overcoats, shoes, pocketbooks, scarfs, belts, jewelry and new pantyhose and cosmetics. No used undergarments, cosmetics or pantyhose will be accepted, nor will men's clothing be accepted.
Wolf said she will also need more volunteers to step forward as consultants to work with the women.
The effort will also need some expertise, including speakers and fund-raisers, as well as people with sewing and tailoring skills to make some items for size 16 and larger, and also mend items needing small repairs.
Wolf, a trained commercial real estate attorney, who found herself beached during a business downtown in the late 1980s, turned entrepreneur in 1991 by launching her medical placement service.
She admits she knows nothing special about business attire, but then she knew nothing about medical careers until she launched her business and learned by doing.
``I'm must grateful for my own opportunity to succeed,'' Wolf said. ``And my effort here to start Working Wardrobe is something I hope can partially pay back our community for the good fortune I have had.''
Anyone who can help Working Wardrobe should call 404-320-9125, which currently is located in the offices of All Medical Personnel at 1961 North Druid Hills Rd. Suite 201-A.
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