Men’s Wearhouse National Suit Drive

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Published on September 01, 2009, 5:59 pm
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Concerned that thousands of men are unable to secure employment because they lack the initial, yet vital, step of looking presentable for a job interview, The Osborne Association and Men’s Wearhouse are working together to collect thousands of articles of professional attire as part of the 2nd Annual National Suit Drive, taking place during the month of September.

On September 9th, The Osborne Association will hold a public ceremony at the Men’s Wearhouse’s Co-Op City location at 2021 Bartow Avenue in the Bronx at 10am to help kick off this year’s charity drive. Donations made during the event will be given to participants in Osborne’s programs who are re-entering the work force. Assemblyman Nelson Castro, representative of the 86th district, and a strong voice on the Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry, will donate a suit to directly to one of Osborne’s participants to show the importance of developing the workforce in our communities.

Last year, the inaugural suit drive garnered 125,000 professional items nationally. This year, The Osborne Association and Men’s Wearhouse have set a goal of not only gathering as many items as possible, but also increasing awareness about the importance clothing has on participants’ success as they look to transform their lives by achieving economic independence. 

“We are very excited to work with Men’s Wearhouse on the National Suit Drive campaign,” said Jose Vasquez, Director of Employment and Training Services for the Osborne Association. “Proper professional attire really can help transform the lives of our participants and allow them to walk into an interview with confidence. Jobs are an essential part of a successful re-entry process for people who have been incarcerated. With these donations, our participants will be one step closer to achieving economic independence for themselves and their families.”

“It became apparent many years ago that there was a long-standing need to help men who are striving for self-sufficiency,” said George Zimmer, CEO and Chairman of Men’s Wearhouse. “We started a Merchandise Donation program to provide professional clothing to nonprofit organizations serving these men. However, our program could not meet the demand, so we implemented the National Suit Drive to assist us in our efforts to help less fortunate men by giving them a renewed sense of dignity and respect. Philanthropy is a major part of our corporate fabric and given the economic climate, this year’s National Suit Drive is more important than ever.”

To demonstrate its commitment, Men’s Wearhouse will add a new tie to help complete the outfit for every suit donated.

All 1,065 Men’s Wearhouse and Men’s Wearhouse & Tux locations will serve as drop-off sites for gently used suits, dress shirts, sport coats, slacks, ties, belts and shoes that will be used to benefit men in need of these items to transition into the workforce.  Men’s Wearhouse will accept donations for The Osborne Association which in turn will provide them to individuals who utilize their services. For a complete list of drop-off locations, please go here.

About The Osborne Association
The Osborne Association offers opportunities for individuals who have been in conflict with the law to transform their lives through innovative, effective, and replicable programs that serve the community by reducing crime and its human and economic costs.

About Men’s Wearhouse
Founded in 1973, Men’s Wearhouse is one of North America’s largest specialty retailers of men’s apparel with 1,284 stores. The Men’s Wearhouse, Moores and K&G stores carry a full selection of designer, brand name and private label suits, sport coats, furnishings and accessories.

 

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Jonas Bronck is the pseudonym under which we publish and manage the content and operations of The Bronx Daily.™ | Bronx.com - the largest daily news publication in the borough of "the" Bronx with over 1.5 million annual readers. Publishing under the alias Jonas Bronck is our humble way of paying tribute to the person, whose name lives on in the name of our beloved borough.