Newspaper Media Group and MarketFair partner to donate funds to the nonprofit in their efforts to provide support and programming to women and girls entering or re-entering the workforce
Dress for Success Central New Jersey receives a financial boost in their efforts to provide support to women and girls entering or re-entering the workforce from Newspaper Media Group and MarketFair.
Representatives of Newspaper Media Group (NMG) and MarketFair presented a $1,015 check to the organization inside the Lawrenceville headquarters of Dress for Success on April 19.
As an organization, the money that was received will go directly towards programming that not only helps women and girls enter or re-enter the workforce but help them with development in areas such as resume building and interview skills.
“We provide clothing for them, business and professional attire, so they can get a job or an interview. You can wear the clothes on an interview and then once they get the job, we give them five days of clothes to start their jobs,” said Aileen Kornblatt, development director at Dress for Success Central New Jersey.
Outside of the image and enhancement boutique, they have 11 signature and workforce development programs, according to Kornblatt.
Those programs include monthly interview skills and resume writing workshops; financial literacy courses; effective communication; personal branding; and designing your future programs.
The funds for the check were made possible through proceeds from a ticketed reception at a co-sponsored event with MarketFair and NMG in March called Spring Preview Ladies Night.
“The beauty of this event is the charitable aspect. We are able to build each year around what we have seen and know what can be better moving forward,” said Michelle Donnelly, director of marketing and events for NMG.
This is the event’s second consecutive year. Spring Preview Ladies Night first launched in 2022, after the idea had to be quickly canceled in March 2020 due to COVID-19.
Doreen Valdes, marketing manager for MarketFair, and Donnelly came up with the idea for the event piecing together women’s fashion and Women’s History Month.
“Dress for Success created a matchup between both elements because they do focus on the clothing aspects/donations side and also focus on women’s empowerment and how we can help women through these donations learn different skills,” Donnelly said.
She noted that NMG has now partnered with MarketFair for more than five years.
“We have had the opportunity with MarketFair to build events that are exactly target to specific ideas and specific populations The beauty of this event is the charitable aspect,” Donnelly said. “We are able to build each year around what we have seen and know what [we] can [do to] be better moving forward.”
At Princeton MarketFair Mall, a VIP reception at Seasons 52 [wine & bar grill] featured cocktails, hors d’eourves, and dessert. All of the VIP ticket holders were entered to win the grand prize of a $520 value necklace from Fords Jewelers and the second-place prize valued at $250 from MarketFair retailers.
“This is the second year that we partnered with Dress for Success and Newspaper Media Group. It is in honor of Women’s History Month,” Valdes said. “It is a great way to connect with the local community, give back, celebrate women, fashion, our retailers and gives a voice to Dress for Success and all that they do.”
The event featured mall promotions from Athleta, Chico’s, The Lash Lounge, OrangeTwist, Barnes & Noble, White House Black Market, and Mystique Hair & Skin.
Event activities consisted of a Build-Your-Own-Bouquet Bar sponsored by Haddonfield Floral, massages provided by LomoDa Massage, permanent jewelry from Off the Chain Studios, and a photo booth from Princeton Events Company.
Valdes said working with Donnelly they curated an experience “where we felt our demographic would want to give back and where they really felt good about themselves.”
According to Donnelly, additional vendors for the evening event included New York Life, Dahlia Boutique, JAG-ONE: Hinoki Hill, Isagenix, Town Square of Princeton, I Support the Girls Central/South Jersey, Mary Kay, and Styles by Sloane.
Kornblatt said they are thrilled to be a partner of the community event in their neighborhood.
“It is perfect fit for our organization, because we do focus on women and girls,” she said. “The event during Women’s History Month gave us the chance to highlight our organization and share this information through an information table and speaking at the VIP reception.”
Dress for Success Central New Jersey has four offices. The Lawrenceville location at 3131 Princeton Pike is the main headquarters. The clothing boutique is at the office space in Lawrence.
The nonprofit has a satellite office inside Trenton Central High School where they have a mirror of the nonprofit’s programs, such as a clothing boutique and weekly workshops for the students.
“Students who are looking for their future [graduating, job, college, internship,], we prepare them with the skills they need to be successful. They have mock interviews, and they work on their resumes,” Kornblatt said.
Dress for Success Central New Jersey covers Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Somerset, Hunterdon, Ocean and Union counties.