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financial donations

Monetary Donations:

Dress for Success San Antonio relies on financial and in-kind donations from a range of supporters, including individuals, foundations, corporations, and organizations, among others. While the suits that we recieve are vitally important and enable our clients with their first step toward self-sufficiency, we also need funding to keep our doors open and to sustain our suiting, employment retention, and career development programs and to expand our reach to more and more women who can benefit from our services.

You may make a single, monthly or multi-year financial contribution, underwrite a special event, sponsor a table or golf foursome or create a planned gift.

Please call Pamela Taylor Executive Director at 210-737-1515 or email pamela@dfssa.org for specialized assistance.

Online donations may be made by clicking on the button below:

Checks made payable to DFSSA may be mailed to:

Dress for Success San Antonio
P.O. Box 91036
San Antonio, TX 78209

clothing donations

Clothing Donations:

FIVE STAR CLEANERS ANNOUNCES NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH

DRESS FOR SUCCESS^® SAN ANTONIO

www.myfivestarcleaners.com

SAN ANTONIO – Five Star Cleaners (today, May 20^th, 2010) is announcing its newrelationship with the well-known local non-profit, Dress for Success^® San Antonio, which says it could not have come at a better time.

Five Star Cleaners is a locally-owned family business for more than 30
years. As leaders is the dry cleaning industry, owners Richard Thum,
Sharlene Thum and Bryan Newbold currently have 18 locations serving San Antonio. Dress for Success is dedicated to promoting the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

Five Star Cleaners approached Dress for Success San Antonio and proposed that local residents drop off their business-attire donations at any of the Five Star Cleaners locations. The company then will clean, press and hang all donations, and then deliver them to the Dress for Success San Antonio headquarters free of charge.

According to Pamela Taylor, co-founder and executive director of Dress for Success San Antonio, Five Star’s proposed relationship will provide a tremendous boost to the charity’s mission. “We are very excited about the opportunity to work with Five Star Cleaners. Their 18 locations throughout the city will make it much more convenient for individuals to drop off donations, and we are happy that our donors will also benefit with the cleaning coupons they’ll receive. In addition, the gracious and generous offer by Five Star Cleaners to clean and press the donations is an incredible gift.”

Sharlene Thum, vice president for Five Star Cleaners, says that the company has a long history of helping the less fortunate. “We have conducted ‘Cold Days, Warm Hearts’ for many years as well as offering a free, one-time cleaning service to the unemployed who need to look good for an interview.

“We are impressed with the work that Dress for Success San Antonio does in helping individuals break the chains of poverty, and we thought we should step forward to do our part in helping the less fortunate become self sufficient through gainful employment,” Thum explains.

Angie Lewis, vice president of the Dress for Success San Antonio’s Board of Directors, adds, “We have recently signed a contract with Career Gear, which promotes the gainful employment and self-sufficiency of men who are actively seeking employment. Therefore, our local affiliate will be well prepared to assist both men and women in the very near future.”

Lewis also announced that Dress for Success San Antonio will be losing its parking lot on June 1^st, and the charity must vacate their building on August 27^th. The Dress for Success San Antonio headquarters is located in the University Health System – West Annex at 520 North Medina in San Antonio. The building is scheduled for demolition, and the property is slated for expansion by University Health Center – Downtown.

“We do not have pickup capabilities, and therefore, in the past donors were required to bring them to us. Once we lose our parking lot, we basically would be handicapped in getting new clothing donations for our clients, so Five Star’s offer is extremely helpful at this time,” Lewis says. She added that the agency has been aggressively looking for a new location in the same area due to their proximity to three major referral agencies - Bexar County Family Justice Center, American GI Forum and Haven for Hope.

Donors wishing to drop off business-attire articles (see attached list) at a Five Star Cleaners may do so Monday thru Friday from 7 AM - 7 PM and on Saturday from 8 AM - 5 PM beginningon June 1, 2010. For more information, visit www.myfivestarcleaners.com or www.dressforsuccess.org/sanantonio.

San Antonio Express News

Dress for Success San Antonio highly appreciates and thanks the San Antonio Community for all the support with clothing donations.

Donations are accepted Monday - Friday 9:oo a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 4522 Fredericksburg Road Suite B-61LL San Antonio, Texas 78201. Call 210.737.1515 for directions.

We ask that clothing items meet the needs of our average client between the ages of 26-33 and that the clothes are current in fashion and no more than 5 years old. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Olivia Jimenez; Director of Operations at 210-737-1515 or email at olivia@dfssa.org.

Current clothing and accessory needs:

Women's Suits (plus sizes biggest need)

Professional separates:

Pants

New and unused make-up
Blouses
Skirts
Handbags and briefcases
Trouser socks
New undergarments
Jewelry - (especially pearl earrings and necklaces)
Winter coats/Sweaters/Gloves

Sorry, we DO NOT accept:
Dresses
Hats
Used Make-up
Casual clothing (sweats, tennis shoes, jeans, knit tops, tee-shirts)
Evening wear (gowns, shoes, and handbags)
Garage Sale left overs
Items out of date in fashion or in need of repair

**Clothing Items in bags or boxes WILL NOT be accepted unless arrangments have been made due to shipping needs.

If you have questions concerning donations or S.O.S. please contact: 210-737-1515.

Donor Privacy Policy
Donors' personal contact information will never be sold, rented, or exchanged with other organizations or any other entity in existence unless Dress for Success San Antonio receives express written permission from the donor.

Donor Bill of Rights
Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. To ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the non-profit organizations and causes they are asked to support, Dress for Success San Antonio declares that all donors have these rights:

To be informed of the organization's mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization's governing board and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements.
To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
To be assured that personal contact information obtained by Dress for Success will not be sold, rented or exchanged with other non-profit organizations.
To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.