Professional attire donation: Chicana Service Action Center, Downtown Los Angeles

On February 2, 2011, SimplyHelp Foundation representatives delivered donated professional attire to the Chicana Service Action Center in Downtown Los Angeles.  The delivery jumpstarted SimplyHelp’s new domestic campaign that focuses on assisting the unemployed re-enter the work force by providing necessary resources. Finding clothes appropriate for a job interview is crucial in the quest for employment, but is a difficult thing for many underprivileged men and women to attain. For this component of the project, SimplyHelp collected donations of professional attire for unemployed men and women to wear to job interviews. Donated items included ties, blazers, slacks, blouses, skirts, and dress shoes.

SimplyHelp met with Chicana Service Action Center President and C.E.O. Sophia Esparza and her assistant Aissa Cerda, and discussed plans for future collaboration between the two groups. Together, we contributed to helping aid the unemployed, and advanced efforts towards individual employment and empowerment.

Over the past 10 years, SimplyHelp’s interactions with homeless communities of Los Angeles have been extensive. We have previously collaborated on distribution projects with other organizations, such as the Foothill Unity Center, the Pilipino Charity Food Bank and the Midnight Mission. This year, after observing how the effects of the dismal economy have negatively impacted the lives of so many, we feel the need to reach out to those closer to home. At SimplyHelp, we are planning on expanding our domestic projects to include a Job Seeker Assistance Program that will empower unemployed men and women from low-income communities. Potential projects include initiating workshops that will give the unemployed homeless a chance to get back on their feet, and into the workforce. These might include topics like resume writing, tips for job hunting, money management skills, Microsoft Office usage, and job interview preparation. We also plan on assisting jobless single mothers by providing them with items like children’s clothing, toys and other childcare items to alleviate some economic pressure. Many of the recently unemployed homeless we have interacted with have been faced harshly with bad luck, and our goal is to provide resources that will help them turn their luck around.