PEERLESS DONATES $1 MILLION WORTH OF TAILORED CLOTHING TO HELP MEN GET BACK TO WORK

In the charitable tradition of Alvin Segal and Ronny Wurtzburger, Peerless Clothing International will donate $1 million worth of new tailored clothing this June from its portfolio of name brands to help men prepare to get back to work. With tens of millions unemployed due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Peerless chairman and CEO Alvin Segal believes wearing tailored clothing will help men look and feel their best, giving them their best shot at landing a job.

Partnering with the non-profits Career Gear and Delivering Good, Peerless will distribute the clothing to men and youth in need via well-established charity organizations. “We want to give men a renewed sense of confidence for job interviews, either in person or via video,” said Peerless president, John Tighe. “We selected organizations that already work directly in their communities so the clothing can quickly get to where it’s most needed.”

Career Gear, which serves approximately 2,000 men annually, will initially focus on Bronx Community College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY). According to Paul Kim, co-chair of Career Gear’s board, “The communities that we serve, particularly men of color, are facing unprecedented socio-economic challenges. We are grateful that Peerless is partnering with us to make a positive impact during this time.”

Lisa Gurwitch, president and CEO of Delivering Good, noted, “Many people are facing the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially people already in vulnerable circumstances in urban communities. We’re working diligently to help individuals recover from the economic impact of COVID-19 through our community partners.” (Editor’s note: Delivering Good works through Dorot NYC to meet the needs of seniors, Millennium Sistahs in West Hempstead, NY to assist men reentering the workforce, Eva’s Village in Patterson, NJ to break the cycle of poverty and addiction, and The Teacher’s Desk in Buffalo, NY to provide high school juniors and seniors appropriate interview attire.)

Tighe was asked if this generous donation by Peerless was not partly to help clear out inventory. “That’s a very cynical viewpoint,” he responded, adding with a smile, “And trust me, that’s not going to solve our inventory problem…” Tighe went on to speak about the next planned phase of the program: sending some of the younger Peerless team members out to community colleges to discuss with students how to prepare for job interviews.

For more info, reach out to Eric Jennings, VP of Marketing at Peerless, at ericj@peerless-clothing.com.