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A dozen AVE team members recently attended “Hope’s Night Out” at Moore College of Art & Design in Center City on June 6 to support Career Wardrobe, along with COO Lea Anne Welsh, who participated in the evening’s “Walk of Hope,” a fashion show highlighting individuals who are Career Wardrobe success stories.
Lea Anne, who serves on the organization’s Advisory Council, walked the runway and introduced Gregory Mitchell, a Career Wardrobe beneficiary currently employed by Ingage Security in Philadelphia.
“It was a pleasure to introduce Gregory, a smart young man with such a bright future,” Lea Anne says. “We bonded over our love of sports, especially the Eagles and Sixers.”
Lea Anne also donated an Empower Hour, a 1-hour mentoring session, for the event’s Silent Auction. The evening resulted in raising more than $80,000 to support Career Wardrobe’s services throughout the region.
AVE, a proud sponsor of the evening, has held four professional clothing drives organized by Diane Miller, Senior Leasing Manager, since their partnership began in October 2017.
“We’ve donated over 6,000 articles of clothing over the last year and a half,” says Diane. “The support was so great for the last two drives, that we had to rent a U-Haul to deliver the donations. It brings me so much joy knowing we’re making a difference.”
AVE team members also volunteer at the Donation Center every month to help with merchandising and outfitting clients.
“AVE is one of our best corporate partners, not just for sponsoring Hope’s Night Out, but for their ongoing support through clothing drives, pop-up events, and volunteer efforts,” says Sheri Cole, Executive Director of Career Wardrobe.
Since 1995, Career Wardrobe has served individuals in Philadelphia with professional clothing, career skills, and the confidence necessary to transition to work. To date, they have helped over 90,000 individuals on their journey to independence.
“Our team is passionate about our partnership with Career Wardrobe,” says Lea Anne. “We host professional clothing drives throughout the year, and team members volunteer at the Donation Center every month to help with cleaning and sorting donations. We have heard personally from so many individuals Career Wardrobe has supported in getting back to work, and it makes us feel so good knowing we’re making a difference.”