BUFFALO, N.Y. — For the past four and a half years, Dress for Success Buffalo has provided free professional clothing and job interview coaching out of their boutique on Hertel Avenue.
Now, they're hitting the road.
The new Dress for Success mobile boutique will visit community events and neighborhoods throughout the City of Buffalo, bringing women clothes, shoes, and self-care kits for free.
Executive Director Michelle Barron says transportation has been a big barrier for some clients.
"We can set up different sites throughout the city and it may be closer to where they live, and then they will be able to come and take advantage of all of the services," she said. "The same services that we offer in the boutique outside of workshops, are the same services that we will offer in our mobile unit."
She even rented a U-Haul a few summers ago to test out how a mobile unit would work.
"We've moved on up from the U-Haul to a Mercedes-Benz sprinter and we're so grateful," Barron said.
M&T Bank, The Buffalo Bills Foundation, and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield provided funding for the van.
A former Highmark Intern, Jacquelyn Htay, shared how she came to Dress for Success when she was applying for the job.
"You feel very confident. Even though like I might be nervous inside, but because of the way I dress and everything, I'm very confident," she said. " That's exactly what I feel today. That's what I felt back then too."
To learn more about Dress for Sucess Buffalo and their services, visit their website.