A local Dress for Success is getting a makeover. A group of Connecticut contractors — and business competitors — will donate their talents, time and materials this month to renovate the organization’s Hartford dressing area.
“When we learned about their mission and visited the space, we knew immediately that our members would be interested in donating their time,” said Eric Person, the executive officer of the Homebuilders & Remodelers Association of Greater Hartford.
The Homebuilders & Remodelers Association of Greater Hartford has organized a team of contractors to renovate Dress for Success Hartford’s dressing room, including adding new flooring, sturdy steel pipe partitions for fitting areas, shelving for apparel, shoes and accessories, plus new carpeting.
Dress for Success Hartford is a nonprofit organization that helps disadvantaged women find jobs by providing them with career development training, professional attire and job-appropriate clothing, resources and mentoring.
The Hartford chapter launched in 1998 and has served more than 4,000 women across the state. The organization assisted 569 women last year alone.
Sara Avatapalli, executive director of Dress for Success Hartford, said the number of women needing help increases each year.
“Given the need for our services, we hope to assist more Connecticut women this year,” said Avatapalli.
Dress for Success is hosting its 8th annual Capital Catwalk Fundraising event on June 3 at Hartford Stage. Emceed by WFSB Channel 3’s Kara Sundlun, local celebrities and community leaders will strut their stuff on the catwalk and proceeds will go directly to the programs that provide Connecticut women the tools and support they need to enter the workforce.
“This organization in Hartford would not exist if not for the support from space donated by Grunberg Realty and without our volunteers, we simply would not be able to fulfill our mission,” said Avatapalli. “Our organization stems the underlying cause of cyclical poverty through grassroots programs that produce long-term solutions.”
Contractors with Avon Plumbing & Heating, Freeland Bros., Construction, Inc., House of Hanbury Builders, Inc., Liljedahl Bros., Inc., David Litchfield Building & Remodeling and Morgan Contracting, Inc. built the organization’s five-dressing room area.
Debbie Albert and her team at Pilgrim Furniture City are donating furniture, fabric for the dressing rooms, plus helping create and construct moveable partitions. Maher’s Paint and Wallpaper LLC in Avon is donating the paint and supplies to help give our facility a whole new look.
“This renovation will expand the number of fitting rooms from three to five, so we can serve more clients at a time,” said Avatapalli.
Other contractors include CarpetWorks, Cyclone Home Systems and Schneider’s Flooring America.
