Philadelphia Nonprofit Gets New Center City Office Space
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- They say "clothes make the man," and the nonprofit MenzFit provides the clothes. The organization celebrated the opening of a new Center City Philadelphia office on Wednesday.
With its racks of suits and ties, the office at 15th and Walnut Streets has the feel of a high-end clothing store, but it caters to a clientele that struggles --recent immigrants, recovering drug users, ex-offenders, and the disabled.
Founder Rhonda Willingham has helped more than a thousand of them get dressed like professionals and find jobs since opening eight years ago.
"I was just volunteering at a similar organization for women and I thought men could benefit from the same services," she said.
Willingham doesn't just clothe job-seekers. MenzFit provides career counseling and interview prep, but Mayor Jim Kenney, who attended the opening, didn't discount the importance of the clothes.
"When you put on clothes like this, with a tie like this, you walk in with some style and some confidence and I think that really is what makes a difference," Kenney said. "It doesn't seem like it means a lot, but when you walk into an employer for the first time dressed and styling and looking good and feeling good about yourself, you're going to put your best foot forward."