Butler Health System employees Dress for Success
Finding the time to shop for clothes to wear to work can be challenging, but on Tuesday, Lindsey Simpson was able to get some new outfits during her shift.
Simpson, a customer service worker at the Butler Health System FasterCare in Slippery Rock, traveled to Butler Memorial Hospital Tuesday afternoon, where Dress for Success Pittsburgh was distributing clothing and personal care items to the women employees.
After about a half hour browsing the clothing racks, Simpson left the hospital with some free new outfits.
“It was nice to be able to get some nice clothes to wear,” Simpson said. “I got a blanket, shampoo, lotion, pants and some makeup.”
This was the second time Dress for Success supplied clothing to employees of Butler Health System. Kris Bowser, development and events manager for BHS, said the 60 available slots for the distribution filled up shortly after registration opened.
According to Bowser, the variety of clothes supplied by Dress for Success is unique in that the organization brings healthcare garb.
“It was a big hit, it really made our employees happy,” Bowser said of the last visit from Dress for Success. “The really nice thing is for those who work in the clinical area, they have brand new scrubs in addition to donated clothing.”
The Dress for Success clothing van was parked in Butler Memorial Hospital’s lot for several hours Tuesday, allowing registrants time to browse the clothes and supplies to select items they liked.
Erram Ahmed, mobile services manager for Dress For Success, said the nonprofit brings its van to many types of businesses and organizations in Butler, Allegheny, Green, Fayette and Washington counties. The hospital setting is unique in that many recipients of clothing are searching for scrubs to wear to work, so Dress for Success puts out a specific call for donations when a healthcare agency is on the list for clothing.
“We have scrubs and that’s the most popular thing here,” Ahmed said. “Our entire mission is to empower women entering or re-entering the workforce to have career readiness. Anything people work in, we can do.”
Ahmed said the theme of the distribution Tuesday was “Fun in the Sun,” and Dress for Success coordinated the event to be held in conjunction to National Nurses Week, which was May 6 to 12.
The mobile distributor also came packed with makeup and self-care items, which Ahmed said were given to further increase women’s confidence in themselves when pursuing, entering or maintaining a career.
Dress for Success has brick-and-mortar locations in the counties it serves. The Butler County branch is in the Holly Pointe Building on Main Street.
However, the organization’s main method of distribution is its traveling van. Ahmed said the agency is in the midst of improving its mobile reach, with administrators planning to take its mobile markets to more places to serve more people.
“This eliminates the barrier of transportation,” Ahmed said. “We are trying to move toward places where people are working in offices. So we are planning that when they are working, we will be there as well.”
Bowser said with the popularity of the distribution events, the development and events staff are considering bringing Dress for Success to Butler Memorial Hospital at least annually.
Natalie Orelli, phlebotomist at BHS Outpatient Services in New Castle, traveled to the hospital Tuesday to stock up on some work clothes. She came out with some lotion and toothpaste, in addition to her new clothes.
“I was excited about the scrubs on offer,” Orelli said. “It helps a lot to have this.”
Ahmed said Dress for Success brought many types of clothing of all shapes and sizes to the hospital Tuesday, because the varying positions that make up the hospital encompass a lot of different clothing needs. The distribution saw attendance from nurses to doctors to the housekeeping crew, and Ahmed said they could all find something to wear.
“Success means something different to everyone, and we want to give people access to their success” Ahmed said.
