SCHMOOZING: DIGNITY U WEAR HOLDS ANNUAL FUNDRAISER TO HELP THOSE IN NEED
Photos by Jill Lotenberg
It was an emotional evening last night as Dignity U Wear communicated its mission at their annual fundraiser at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan. Among the speakers, David Heath, CEO of Bombas socks, attributed the company’s success to a business model of giving back. “While chatting with a homeless veteran at a shelter, we told him we made socks. He half smiled, taking off his shoes and showing us one foot wrapped in a bandanna, the other in a plastic bag. We learned that socks are the number one requested item at shelters and decided to change our business model to one pair purchased equals one pair donated. People love our socks, and our concept: in two and a half years we’ve sold/donated a million pairs.”
Jean Kelly, executive director of The Inn, a Long Island organization that provides food, shelter, showers and clothing to the needy, spoke about the dignity people receive with a gift of new clothing in their size. “They are grateful for used clothes but a gift of new clothing gives people the confidence to turn their lives around. Clothing is a visual statement of how they’re doing; new clothes make them feel new.”
Ltd Colonel Roy Walker, who served 22 years in Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan, spoke poignantly about the plight of too many veterans. As always, Brooks Brothers thanks them for their service with a $1500 gift package that includes a suit in their size, two shirts and a certificate for Rack Room shoes. Other Dignity donors include Men’s Wearhouse, TJX, PVH, Smart Apparel, VF, My Pakage and more. Won’t you consider joining them? To contribute new clothes or make a cash contribution toward running the warehouse, contact Barbara Truncellito, btruncellito@dignityuwear.org.
