By Angela Carter, Register Staff
acarter@newhavenregister.com

NEW HAVEN — A nonprofit organization that helps the unemployed, regardless of the circumstances that put them out of work, recently got a helping hand of its own from the business community.

Since May 2008, STRIVE/New Haven has been the city’s affiliate of Career Gear, a New York City organization that provides low-income men who are searching for work with interview-appropriate clothing and counseling. They call it “A suit and a second chance.”

But STRIVE — which stands for Support and Training Results in Valuable Employees — serves men and women and was in dire need of professional clothing for its female clients.

Enter the Greater New Haven Leadership Center of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce.

The center runs Leadership Greater New Haven, a 10-month program for area professionals.

Sarah Yeager, a participant of the 2010 class and director of corporate communications for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, said she and four other team members had to complete a project that they named “Dressing Tomorrow’s Leaders.”

They collected garments and personal care donations from local companies so STRIVE could establish a women’s clothing bank.

STRIVE Executive Director Brian Roccapriore said the organization went from one rack of women’s clothing that was about one-third full, to packing an office and a wall rack near the menswear.

“We’ve been able to provide suits for over 200 people since we’ve been here,” Roccapriore said of STRIVE’s Chapel Street headquarters.

“Women’s clothing is harder to come by because we’re not affiliated with a group such as Career Gear.” Continued...

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Other members of the chamber’s leadership group were Susan Swirsky, administrative/development assistant at Gateway Community College; Gloribell Lopez, director of real estate development at Neighborworks New Horizons; Fred Messore, vice president at Colonial Properties; and Cara Pavelko, donor relations and volunteer coordinator at United Way of Greater New Haven.

“Before the (STRIVE) graduation ceremony, people may need an outfit for the graduation or they may get an interview before the graduation,” said Andrew Orefice, director of programs for STRIVE.

Leta Malloy, director of corporate partnerships for Career Gear, said clients gain confidence by having outfits that reflect a proper workplace image.

“We partner with pre-existing nonprofits that are solidly based in the community,” she said. “STRIVE stood out for me. It’s a national program and they’re well-established in the New Haven community.”

Yeager said partnerships with STRIVE will continue through creating a database of sponsors and a women’s professional clothing drive that Anthem will hold in March to coincide with Women in History Month.

Also, Gateway Community College will hold a drive in fall 2011, she said.

Malloy and Orefice said clothes must be either new or gently used and clean. Undergarments must be new.

Donations can be made by calling STRIVE at 203-777-1720 or dropping off items at 746 Chapel St., Suite 301.

Call Angela Carter at 203-789-5752.

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