March 30 Notes

Career Closet (is this the name we want?)

Drive Date: June , 2011 (look at chamber calendar)

Committee Chair: Nicki/Jennie (Interviewed)

Subcommittees:

· Publicity (Julia, Nicki, Carrie, Becky-helper bee)

o Donations –

§ Need facts sheet - this is why we are doing it, for who, when, where

· Preferably business casual slacks, blouses, khaki pants, nice shirts, closed toed shoes

o Press release (Tracy has contact names if we need them)

§ Approved by Lorraine before we do this!!!!!!

§ SHE 106.3 Crissy

§ KOTA

§ 93.9, 93.1

§ New Rushmore radio

§ Community Happenings on Journal page

§ Newsatrapidcity.com – send it to Lynn

· Call Brad Slatter and make appointment – Journal publisher;

o Who, what, when, where

o Women’s network (Vesta), AAUW, Zonta (Tracy)

· Facility – (Kathleen, Anne, Jennie, Becky-helper bee)

o Get shelving donations – Lowes, Menards

o Organize shelves

o Who needs to go in and clean up every month?

· Clothing drive (Suzanna, Sharee, Carrie, Becky-helper bee)

o Drop off points (each of our places of business)

§ Mall? Karen Waltman (sent by Tracy Manning Egge

§ Someone’s driveway?

§ Banks/business/fair grounds/BBBS/

o Organization of the clothes once received

· Agenda to all meetings

Breaking into groups

If we split into two main groups, Clothing Drive and Re-do the Closet, I would like to be on the drive team. I am a concrete random information absorber and a global-thinking visionary green. I am a dreamer, creative and innovative. And I spent this morning attending a webinar at Chiesman about how to make my innovations realities.

An organizer I am not. I stumble over little details and sometimes miss important ones. I can easily conceptualize a final goal but have no idea how to get there.

I want at least one Golden Girl to run the show and keep the idea within scale. I have a calendar for planning an event that starts four months out, so we’d best get on it J We'll need one Orange to keep the dream alive and make sure we are moving always in a forward direction, and two Blues because hanging flyers all over town is a lot of legwork and getting them printed will require their special brand finesse. 

I was instrumental in planning a diaper drive in October and a community carnival the month before, so I have a picture of what a donation drive event looks like when all the pieces come together. Fortunately, visualizing the big picture is my strong point. I also have a lot of orange in me, so I’m not afraid to get out there and hang posters in every store window I can get to in the time between posters are printed and the start-date for the actual event.

For our Diaper Drive, we were able to secure a printer to sponsor the flyers. We advertised for a week leading up to the event. We got the collection bins donated on loan and returned them after the event. Donations continued to trickle in after the event, so when I went around collecting the bins, there were frequently additional items there as well. I think it would be better to have the event kick off a week of collecting donations this time. This may require a different advertising campaign.

We used the radio to promote our Diaper Drive. Rushmore Radio (?) has an application for a psa. We need drop off locations and one location for a full event. (If we have a bounce house, we’ll get more people. Just a thought.) And I called churches for our events to request they put a notice in their bulletins the week before.

To protect the identities of the tanf participants, we need a delicate marketing campaign. How can we involve Zonta to help support? Does anyone have a connection there? Is there really no way to link the items in the two clothing closets rather than continue to duplicate the service? I am still struggling to reconcile the split.

If we receive too many donations, we will need to secure storage or perhaps connect with a thrift store. CornerStone has a boutique area with better clothes; maybe them? Ideally though I think maybe a consignment shop could roll some money into the clothing closet to provide gift cards for hard-to-find shapes and sizes. Maybe, if there is a large surplus and nowhere to put it, we could gift some of the overflow to the clothe-a-kid for school event sponsored by Love, INC in August and clothe a lucky parent or two. This sort of problem is the hardest thing to prepare for because it's kind of intimidating.

who am i?

I am green

I am rare

I am rarely seen

I begin with the end in mind

But I need

Gold to organize

Determine the budget

(where I’d rather smudge it)

And find the obstacles

Orange will overcome

They are the catalysts that inspire us all

To reach further than we have before

And gentle blues to calm the storms

When great minds don’t think alike

Basic Floor Plan

Very basic. I am beginning to think I had help last time I did this, or maybe just forgot something :)

This is where you enter the closet and is the main display area.

This is the second room. This is mainly for storage. There are two restrooms on the left side. 

Clothing Closet project thoughts,...

Clothing Closet Project Thoughts

Catchier name
Career Closet…
Working Women…

Contact local retail businesses:
Wear It Again Sam’s
Dress Barn
TJ Max
Gordman’s
Walmart
Kmart
Target
Payless Shoe Source
Shopko
Shoe Carnival
Clothing stores in Rushmore Mall (Lane Bryant – plus sizes)
o Aeropostale
o American Eagle
o Buckle
o Charlotte Russe
o Christopher & Banks
o Deb Shops
o Eddie Bauer
o Gap
o Herberger’s
o JCPenney’s
o Maurice’s
o Motherhood Maternity
o Sears
o Vanity
o Wet Seal
Second Hand Stores
o The Thrift Store
o Salvation Army
o Goodwill
Downtown Boutiques
o Bella Boutique
o Nicole Robeck Fashion Boutique

Research possible grants
CDBG
Hanes
Leggs
Dove


Solicit local businesses/groups for clothing donations from employees
RCRH
BH Corp
Women’s Network
Zonta
Chamber members
Banks
Real Estate Companies

Advertise!
Chamber pack
United Way agency mailing
Flyers for community
Information to local agencies
211
WCLI to host Chamber mixer at Clothing Closet OR
Open house to invite local organizations

Write letter to take with to solicit donations
Organize donations/ determine storage
Make Clothing Room more appealing
Design flyers for communities
Design flyers for local agencies
Contact local cleaners to see if they would donate cleaning/pressing the clothes
Determine how to pay for all advertisement
Organize actual day for drive (Carri)


Possible subcommittees:
- to organize donations and make clothing room more appealing.
- solicit retail stores for clothing/shoe donations
- solicit local businesses/groups for clothing drive
- Organize actual clothing drive

Should probably have one person a point of contact for:
- Job Services
- Retail Stores
- Local business/group

Information from other similar closets:
We are interested in the following types of items for our stores:
Items recently purchased, at least within the last two years
Clean, in style, excellent condition and preferably on hangers
Designer labels and items from better department stores and boutiques
Clothing, handbags, shoes, jewelry, belts, hats, and accessories
Additional items of interest may be applicable


Mission Statement
The mission of the Women’s Clothes Closet is to provide gently used clothing to low-income women, especially those who are entering or are in the workforce.
Hours of Operation:
Monday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
New visitors to the WCC can choose three complete outfits. Returning visitors can select one outfit per visit, up to two times per month. No questions are asked about income or employment status.
Donations
The Women’s Clothes Closet is always in need of gently used in-season clothing that is fashionable, clean and in good repair. Bras, shoes, handbags, scarves, jewelry, boots, hats, gloves and coats are also very much appreciated. Financial contributions help us pay the wages of our Clothes Closet Coordinator. Checks should be out to the Women’s Clothes Closet and sent to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 612 Division Street, La Crosse, WI 54601.
Contact the WCC
The Women’s Clothes Closet is located in Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Click here for directions to Our Savior’s.
Call us at 608-784-5745 or send the WCC an email!


Working Women's Clothing Closet
Dress for success
Published : Monday, 29 Nov 2010, 12:34 PM EST
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - When you are ready to interview but have nothing to wear, the Women's Resource Center is ready to step in and help you find the wardrobe that can help put you to work. Terri steps inside the Working Women's Clothing Closet, just one of the many resources available for women who are looking for strategies to get into the workforce or land a better job. Donations from successful business women make this program possible.

Everyone pick three contacts that they could present our project to for assistance.
Motivational Quotes on the walls along with outfits displayed.

Hello fellow WCLI TEAM members. I just wanted to let eveyone know that Jennie, Carrie, and I went to look at the area that will be transformed into a magnificant clothing closet. It was a fairly last minute trip and they weren't expecting us. However, the staff was very cooperative and let us in. The reason we went to look at it was simply to get measurments of the space. Carrie is drawing up floor plans and has posted them to the blog or will post them. The space is a pretty decent size and there is a lot of potential. It is going to be very exciting to see this project come alive. I see you all tomorrow at the meeting.

Sharee

Clothing Closet

It is a little hard to understand the floorplan from these pictures but hopefully these pictures will help give you a better idea of what I was trying to describe last night.

Gary is going to talk to the others at Job Services to see if they can come to our meeting next Wednesday at 8pm. I will let you know as soon as I hear back from him.

I am excited for everyone to understand the need for this project in the community and fully get on board. I truly believe this project is going to be a great success and have a positive impact on our community!

Jumping on

I helped organize a Diaper Drive in October. We got a printer to donate part of the cost of the flyers, held a live remote with Magic 93.9 at Family Thrift, and I secured drop-off locations all over town. I posted the flyers everywhere I could in the days leading up to the drive and wrote a mayoral proclamation that he signed and made official for the event (it happened to almost coincide with Make a Difference Day).
I am also loosely involved with a Stroller Derby to raise awareness for Solutions, a high school program that targets 9th grade students at risk of dropping out. They have already won a national award for their work, and they are walking dolls in strollers around downtown in April because some of our Mommy's Closet clients are homeless and have to walk here to request our services. They will be collecting donations of diapers and formula at all the salons downtown during their awareness walk. 
There are no events currently listed in the Rapid City Journal for May 21. It's just after our graduation, but before kids get out of school. The Chamber's Community Calendar is clear that whole month, and the Chamber Events Calendar has something on May 7. 
I suggest May 21 as a target date for the clothing drive. That's 9 weeks to realize our goal (and we did the diaper drive in  6). 

welcomimg Committee

I really like the idea of a welcoming committee. I think we could utilize the current one with minimal effort. It would be helping a FEMALE business owner as well as benefit newcomers in the community.

New Neighbors

I just got back from lunch with Denise Willis, owner of New Neighbors. She has operated this private business for several years and maintains two other New Neighbors businesses, one in Mitchell, SD, and one in Minnesota. 
New Neighbors is a member of the Rapid City Chamber but receives no noticeable business from their membership. The Chamber relocation package does not at this time include information about this welcome service, and it is difficult to find information about it online. New Neighbors has a stronger presence in Box Elder and Ellsworth and the Northern Hills than in Rapid City where the business is based.
I suggested that we become a Welcoming Committee before I knew there was one in town. Since there is a welcoming committee that is not fully represented by the Chamber, I now propose that we help raise awareness of New Neighbors and help the program form an alliance with the Chamber. 
This would require a very small time commitment, mostly around activities you already do every day. While you're enjoying coffee with your best friend, hang a flyer on the coffee shop's bulletin board. While you're grocery shopping, talk to the person behind you in line. And while we are participating in a leadership program sponsored by the Chamber, we can help this small business become a household name by utilizing the connections we form during the course of this inaugural WCLI session. 
Denise wants a stronger relationship with our fabulous Chamber of Commerce. We can help her get information about New Neighbors into the Chamber's relocation package and maintain a booth at Summer Nights if anyone besides me thinks they can attend all or most Thursdays this summer. Denise has all the promotional materials we may need and will provide them. She also has employment opportunities now, and if we successfully promote New Neighbors, employment opportunities will increase as well. 

metting tonight

Hi Ladies,

I am looking forward to our meeting tonight. I did not get and invite to the blog until late yesterday afternoon.

My invite was accidently sent to the wrong email address.I am working hard to get up to speed with you guys. Is anyone open to meeting a little early tonight, say 5 ish, to disscuss our project? I am looking forward to seeing all of you tonight and moving forward with our project.

Project

Okay, Now that I think I know what I am doing...I initially was on board for the the welcoming committee idea. I think it could have far reaching consequences. It could als have a potentially huge inpact on local businesses, which is always a plus, because when business is good, it is good for the entire communtiy. I still thinkk this is a super ides, but when I talked with Carrie earlier, she said that shediscovered there is a national welcoming program. I have no idea how far reaching or effective it is because I have never heard of it. Further, itis not affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce. Having a local welcoming committee that is affiliated with the Chamber would be great.

As far as the clothing closet. I know that people can get referrals for clothing vouchers through most non-profits, churces, and social services programs. WAVI does this regularly. The Salvation Army has even been known to let individuals work for goods. WAVI, the Cornerstone, and the thrift stores receive massive amounts of clothing donations. The one draw back is that you never know what your going to get. The cloths may be nice up-to-date clothng or not. What I see in my work is that many of the same people use the clothing voucher services and I suspect it would be similar if we had a clothing closet.

Just a few thoughts.

Women's Community Leadership Initiative: finally on blog

Women's Community Leadership Initiative: finally on blog: "I talked it carrie ealier ad I have finally figured out how toi do this...I think. Sharee (Sharon)"

Women's Community Leadership Initiative: finally on blog

Women's Community Leadership Initiative: finally on blog: "I talked it carrie ealier ad I have finally figured out how toi do this...I think. Sharee (Sharon)"

finally on blog

I talked it carrie ealier ad I have finally figured out how toi do this...I think.

Sharee (Sharon)

Women's Community Leadership Initiative: My first post ever

Women's Community Leadership Initiative: My first post ever: "Yahoo.. I am blogging!"

My first post ever

Yahoo.. I am blogging!

Hi Ladies,
Well class is tomorrow night and I haven’t heard from anyone or seen anything on the blog that said whether or not the clothing closet was even a viable project. I took the initiative and made some phone calls. The first place I called was the Career Learning Center. The receptionist said they do have a clothing closet and that Priscilla Noble is who I would need to speak to about it. I am waiting for a call back from her. The second place I called was Job Services. They also have a small clothing closet. I was told to speak to Gary Krauss about it. Again I left a message and am waiting for a call back from him as well.

By no means am I saying that this is the project I just think that before we can decide on a project we need to know what ideas are even options. The plan is that we will be deciding on a project tomorrow night. As soon as I hear from either of them I will email you all. I am planning on telling them who exactly we are (our group) and our mission and asking them IF we chose this project would they be open to our assistance and what their thoughts are. If they aren’t open to our project or as a group we decide to go a different direction with the clothing project we can always do that too.

I saw a few concerns about time commitments and my thoughts are that we should ask Linda Rabe on what her opinion is of how much time she believe would be required of a successful welcome committee. Any of the Board members that have done any kind of drives may also have an idea of the time commitment for a clothing drive.

I’m not sure exactly how we will be deciding tomorrow night but I could bring 9 ballots that says please rank in order of preference and then lists all the ideas and we could all vote that way?…let me know what you think.

New Neighbors

Ok, well, maybe there is a Welcoming Committee here in town. I asked my co-workers today if they thought creating a welcoming committee would be more of a time commitment than I envision. One of them suggested I call New Neighbors and ask them.
New Neighbors is a national social group that welcomes the newly relocated; there is one here in town and I am having lunch tomorrow with a representative. Yay! 
I asked her why I don't know about their service since I have been here for a year. She said they are mentioned in the Chamber relocation package, but I don't remember receiving that information last year in my package. It was a hectic time for me, though, and I may have overlooked the significance of such a service in all the excitement. In addition, when someone buys a house in the area, New Neighbors is notified and they go welcome the, well, the new neighbor. They have not extended their services into the rental community, which is why I didn't hear about it that way. 
And yes, it's a very big time commitment. A Chamber up in the northern hills had its own welcoming committee for a while and was absorbed into New Neighbors a few years ago.
So. If we go with a Welcoming Committee, I'd like to suggest we work with New Neighbors to incorporate the rental community and I may have more ideas after lunch :)

New Idea

I know that I probably shouldn't do this but I have a new idea and want to expand on another.

I think we can do a combination of two things for our class project:

1) Twice a year do a business casual clothing drive. It would be easy to do, low cost and many of us already have community contacts we can use.

2) Let's go to the homeless apartments once a month, pick a child who has a birthday that month and give them a birthday party. We can go to Chuckee Cheese or stay at their apartment or just bring donated gifts. The sky is the limit!

Both these activities will achieve what we all have been saying since the first meeting. Helping women and children. Giving them the needed boost they need.

What do you guys think?

I'm in the newspaper!

I am applying for the Equity Grant mentioned in this article for the program I am creating as an AmeriCorps*VISTA Member. Help to Obtain a Powerful Education (Project: H.O.P.E.) removes barriers to education for low income families by paying childcare for full-time enrolled students, and is based on a highly successful program that helped me go to Clemson.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/lifestyles/article_e016c5e6-4b6b-11e0-a4e1-001cc4c002e0.html

Everyone's Idea

Class Project Ideas:
Susanne: Collect Professional/Career clothing for women in low to modest income.
· MN Has one and there is a national group (in NY & Minneapolis) that a previously homeless woman started. These would be good places to look into for help.

Julia: Welcome Committee/Orienteer/Mentor for HS Kids and non-traditional women students that are going to college, trade school, etc.

Becky: Women Oriented
Women & Children that are homeless
Hope Day: have a countdown or challenge
ie. 5 days to a better you
Day 1: discover what organizations need help
Day 2: Find friends to help. Possibly utilize social networks, internet, media
Day 3: Clean out your pantry day and donate items
Day 4: Clean out your closets day and donate clothing
Day 5: Take a homeless person to lunch and listen to their story
Online Access & training

Anne: mentoring Women going to College
· Take away isolation
· Help them create bond with community
o Resources, Volunteers
o Become Leaders, form connections and stay in the community
· We will be “Paying it forward to other women.”
· Like Big Sisters for college women
· Provide Time Management and emotional support

Nikki: The homeless population has doubled in the last year. She would like to find a way to help those people get on a road to success.

Carrie: Welcome Committee in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce to welcome new residents
· Help with consumer decisions
· Introduce new residence to the beauty of the area, attractions, the openness & diversity
· The Welcoming Committee would be an “elite group of powerful women” that will serve as ambassadors to the area
· Committee would recruit new volunteers
· Have Welcome “Baskets” with coupons, info on activities, events, organizations, etc.
· Hold a monthly lunch
· Host a table at Summer Nights

Sharon: 1) Networking is hard. She would like to see quality internships for disadvantage women created. This will boost their resumes and self-esteem
2) A theater program for kids and ran by kids. Adults would serve only as mentors.

Jennie: 1) Likes Suzanne’s clothing idea, is concerned about the time commitment, getting money, and the sustainability
2) Likes the welcoming committee idea from Carrie.

Kathleen: Focus on women to build strong children in the future

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Does anyone know how a TBI affects a person's brain? My main project as a VISTA Member is to break down barriers to education for mothers. I have an individual who is interested in going to college but she's had more than one TBI and struggles to learn. Today, right now, actually, I'm going to meet with someone who may have the resources to get my client up to par so she can achieve her educational goals. Wish me luck!

WOW! I can officially say I blog now :)

Our Class So Far

Today we decided to create a blog for the first ever Rapid City Women's Community Leadership Initiative. I have sent out invitations to all participants to be contributing authors to this blog, so I hope everyone is able to collaborate. Please email me if you can't post :)