Bulging Closets? Here's What to Do!

March 11-17th has been declared "Send One Suit" week by Dress for Success. "Dress for Success is a not-for-profit organization that helps low-income women make tailored transitions into the workforce. Each Dress for Success client receives one suit when she has a job interview and a second suit when she gets the job. The Dress for Success Professional Women's Group program then provides ongoing support to help the client build a successful career." They accept new or nearly-new and cleaned:

- Coordinated, contemporary, interview-appropriate skirt and pant suits
- Beautiful, crisp blouses
- Gorgeous blazers and jackets
- Professional shoes
- There is a particular need for larger-size suits

Here are some other ways you can support Dress for Success:

* Send one new or nearly new interview suit to Dressbarn during the week of March 11-17th and help a low-income woman enter the workforce. Click here to find a Dressbarn in your area.

* Donate money to Dress for Success worldwide or to a local affiliate.

* Volunteer at Dress for Success and do office work, fundraising, sorting and even personal shopping. Click here to find a Dress for Success affiliate near you.

* Organize a suit drive through your company, church, sorority, weight-loss group, bookclub or other organization. Together, you will make a bigger difference.

This is a great way to celebrate Women's History Month (March), and International Women's Day (March 8). But you can donate any time. So take a look in your closet and find a suit you can spare. A woman in need is preparing for a job interview and she will greatly appreciate it.

For more ways to reuse other clothing items, click here.

Do you have a fur in your closet that you no longer wear? Is the fur not your style anymore? Do you no longer wear your fur for moral reasons? Did your great-aunt give you a fur you just don't like or will never wear? Did you just move to Ghana, St. Thomas, or some other always-warm place? If you have a fur you want to get rid of in a socially-responsible way, you've come to the right place.

The Women's Bioethics Project just started fur recycling program: Beautiful keepsakes are created from donated furs and auctioned to fund Women's Bioethics Project programs: research, education, and community building. Your donation is tax deductable. To donate your fur, call 206-200-1101 or visit www.womensbioethics.org. It's all for a great cause. Thanks for the tip, Linda!

"The smallest light in the darkest conditions can give you all you need to get where you are going." - Juan Lane