SERIES: Giving Back

America’s Best Cleaners (ABC) Affiliate Fox Cleaners partnered with Dress for Success Tulsa for a successful EmpowerWear program to collect gently worn professional and business casual attire for women from October 1-31, 2024.

The collection program gathered approximately 1,500 clothing items, which are now securely stored at Dress for Success Tulsa. Through the EmpowerWear program, women in need are provided with suitable attire for job interviews, professional events, and work-related activities. This initiative aims to empower women, helping them achieve economic independence and access employment opportunities.

To participate in the program, customers could text the day before their regularly scheduled delivery to receive an EmpowerWear donation garment bag with detailed instructions and charitable donation receipts for their taxes. Fox Cleaners then collected the donations on the following pick-up day. They also accepted donations during their regular business hours and via their 24/7 kiosk.

Maggie Fox, president and CEO of Fox Cleaners, shared “The inaugural EmpowerWear campaign has exceeded our expectations, thanks to the enthusiastic engagement of our employees and the generous response from our community. Our team embraced this initiative wholeheartedly, not just collecting and processing donations, but actively educating customers about the impact of their contributions. One of our most valuable insights has been identifying the pressing need for professional plus-size attire in our community. This knowledge will shape our future collection efforts, ensuring we better serve all women seeking economic independence.”

Although the EmpowerWear program is complete, Fox Cleaners will continue to support Dress for Success. “We’re proud to announce that Fox Cleaners will continue serving as a year-round collection site for Dress for Success, making it even easier for our community to support this vital cause,” shared Fox.

ABC launched its first EmpowerWear program in August 2023 via a pilot partnership with Affiliate Owl Cleaners and Dress for Success Pittsburgh. The goal is to have all ABC national Affiliates on board by the end of 2025 to maximize the program’s impact.

Chris White, ABC Executive Director, shared, “This program continues to show how critical independent small businesses are to each community they serve and how we leverage our assets to not only empower people in need but start to make a dent in the removal of textile waste from our landfills and into more responsible and meaningful ways. We hope that the people of Tulsa and the rest of our nation follow the lead set by Fox Cleaners and America’s Best Cleaners by promoting less consumption of low-priced garments and buying better apparel that can find several lives after the initial purchase like the EmpowerWear program provides.”

The Canadian Angle

Interested in doing the same?

Linley McConnell of Gibson’s Cleaners in Toronto was involved in the Dress for Success Toronto program recently, which is run in a similar manner to the one described above. We asked her how she got involved, and whether the opportunity is open to other dry cleaners.

How did you become involved in Dress for Success Toronto?

I became familiar with Dress for Success Toronto (DFST) after attending a local event in Toronto. I recognized there were synergies between Gibson’s and DFST in that we could support with the collection of donations for the Toronto affiliate’s Suiting Program which provides women professional attire for an upcoming job interview.

We are so fortunate to have thoughtful clients at Gibson’s who are always thinking of ways to give back, including donating items to this incredible cause. We started working with DFST around five years ago and drop off at least two bins of donations weekly.

I now sit on the Fundraising and Marketing committee with the Toronto Board Members and it’s been a great experience. While there is a global head office, each location is an affiliate and does not communicate or connect with other locations. Each affiliate has different goals based on their community and audience.

How can other Canadian companies get involved?

Reach out to their local affiliate lead (visit the website here.) There are 13 Canadian affiliates country wide. Each affiliate is focused on serving their community and will gladly share what types of support they need whether it’s monetary support, time, or in-kind services.