Dress for Success Pittsburgh – Headquarters/Allegheny County
332 Fifth Ave, 5th Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Leah Shannon, Chief Executive Officer
412-201-4204
FAX: 412-201-1329
leah@dressforsuccesspittsburgh.org Mon – Fri, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Dress for Success Pittsburgh is a Pennsylvania WorkWear Program provider.
For our branches in Fayette and Washington Counties, please scroll down.
The mission of Dress for Success Pittsburgh is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by helping them gain and retain meaningful employment.
Founded in 2005, DFS Pittsburgh is an independent affiliate of an international nonprofit organization that has served over 450,000 women around the world.
DFS Pittsburgh operates two programs aimed at assisting women in crisis and/or time of critical life transition. Our programs focus on providing a continuum of support and opportunities for low income women to compete, advance and support themselves and their families.
Our two cornerstone programs are: professional clothing assistance and the Professional Women’s Group. DFS works with over 120 referral agencies who refer clients with scheduled job interviews but who simply do not have the resources to purchase appropriate clothing. DFS provides women with interview clothing and once the job is secured, the clients return to DFS for workplace-appropriate clothing needs.
While we may be best known for providing suits to women, it is our employment retention programs that are the keystones of the organization. Soon after Dress for Success was founded, we came to recognize that finding work is only one step in a woman's journey towards economic independence; remaining employed and building a rewarding career are essential if a woman is to become self-sufficient. However, women re-entering the workforce face many personal barriers to retaining their jobs – from interpersonal and communication skills, to financial planning to balancing work and life. The Professional Women’s Group (PWG) was founded to respond to this need. PWG offers women ongoing support as they successfully transition into the workforce, build thriving careers and prosper in the mainstream workplace. Once a client secures a job, they are invited to join PWG and become members for life, able to attend meetings at any affiliate throughout the world, and can benefit from additional employment retention and mentoring programs. PWG focuses on workshops and peer support as job retention and career development tools for at-risk women. Each meeting has two key elements: an expert speaker leading a discussion and a networking period. Speaker topics include financial planning (budgeting, credit repair, basic banking), time management, the written and unwritten rules of the workforce, child care, transportation, and many more. Equally important, members have the opportunity to network and provide each other with mutual support.
Dress for Success also has developed Career Center, an initiative that promotes confidence and professionalism by providing women career guidance, the chance to acquire technology skills and assistance in their job searches.
No other organization in the Southwestern PA region provides the continuum of services that DFS Pittsburgh offers. DFS Pittsburgh is the primary advocate for disadvantaged women who are in the critical transition to re-employment.
Dress for Success relies on the financial contributions, in-kind donations and volunteer efforts of individuals and companies around the world who are committed to helping women take charge of their lives. Visit our Support Dress for Success page to learn how you can get involved with Dress for Success Pittsburgh.
Our Clients
We help women who are facing a challenging life transition and need assistance to take the next step towards self sufficiency. The vast majority have experienced a major disruption in their lives, including addiction, incarceration, divorce, job loss and/or domestic violence.
More than 40% of all DFS Pittsburgh clients are in their teens and twenties,
69% of the clients are African American or another minority
76% are on public assistance, and are responsible for dependent children.
Three in four clients have two or more dependent children.
Women come to DFS, then, not only to help themselves, but also to help vulnerable children whose future depends upon a successful transition to economic independence.
Please visit our new Pittsburgh website at www.dressforsuccesspgh.org
To get involved with Dress for Success Pittsburgh, please contact our other branches:
Dress for Success Pittsburgh - Uniontown, Fayette County
National City Building
2 W. Main St., Suite 202
Uniontown, PA 15401
Cathleen Augustine, Branch Manager
724-437-1341
FAX: 724-437-1343
fayette@dressforsuccesspittsburgh.org Mon – Fri, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Dress for Success Pittsburgh – Washington, Washington County
202 N. Main St.
Washington, PA 15301
Robin Matthews, Branch Manager
724-228-8327
FAX: 724-228-8329
washington@dressforsuccesspittsburgh.org Mon, Wed & Fri, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Dress for Success Pittsburgh - Monessen, Washington/Westmoreland County
719 Schoonmaker Ave.
Monessen, PA 15062
Robin Matthews, Branch Manager
724-228-8327
FAX: 724-228-8329
robin@dressforsuccesspittsburgh.org Tues 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Dress for Success Pittsburgh - Waynesburg, Greene County
22 West High St.
Waynesburg, PA 15370
Robin Matthews, Branch Manager
724-228-8327
FAX: 724-228-8329
robin@dressforsuccesspittsburgh.com Thurs 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
