DCCCD employees move clothing donated for the Fit2Hire event.
Contact: Ann Hatch
214-378-1819;
ahatch@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — July 13, 2017
(DALLAS) — Some people are fit to be tied, but not Dallas County Community College District students! They are Fit2Hire — or they will be, after a special event on Sat., July 22, where they can choose new or gently worn clothing they need for job interviews or to spruce up their workplace wardrobes.
The event, which is free to DCCCD students from every college who have a valid student ID, will be held at the district’s Bill J. Priest Institute, 1402 S. Corinth St. in Dallas, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students must sign in and provide their student ID number; they can bring a guest, but only students will be able to shop for clothes and accessories.
“The Dallas County Community College District, DCCCD’s staff and our district’s Professional Support Staff Executive Council want our students to be able to dress for success when they interview for a job or need to enhance their wardrobes for the office — especially if they have limited resources,” said Brenda Welcome, president of the DCCCD PSS Executive Council. “Employees from every college and location across our district were asked to donate new or gently worn clothing, shoes and accessories to help students, and the response over the past two months has been overwhelming. This is a pilot event for DCCCD, but we hope to host it annually.”
The call for help went out in early spring, asking for donations that would give employees’ “spring cleaning a whole new meaning.”
The event also includes free seminars for anyone who would like to participate. Sessions include: “How to Interview Like a Boss”; “Practice to Perfection”; “This Is Why I’m HOT (Hire me Over Them!)”; “Need a Job? Create a Plan”; “Dress for Success for Women”; “Dress for Success for Men”; “You’ve Got the Job: Now What?”; “Splunk: Understanding the Job Interview Process”; and “Classic Man.”
Students will receive a gift bag when they register with a specific number of F2H “bucks” to purchase items in the boutique (the cost is one F2H buck per item). They will receive extra bucks for attending sessions and completing an evaluation form. The “bucks” concept originated with the Blazer Store at North Lake College, which opened more than a decade ago to help students with their everyday needs. A “Fun Photo Booth” will be on site during FiT2HiRE so that students can take pictures and share the day with friends and family members.
Other DCCCD colleges that have or plan to open clothing closets will be able to choose from items after students finish their shopping at 1 p.m. Any items that remain will be donated to the Salvation Army.
“Fit2Hire benefits students, our colleges, employees, and the community,” added Welcome. “Approximately 100 volunteers from across DCCCD and DFW are pitching in to help before, during and after the event because we all want to help our students dress for success when starting their new careers.”
For more information, contact Welcome at 214-378-1719 or at
bwelcome@dcccd.edu.
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