To the Editor:

On November 10^, Dress for Success Mercer County (DFSMC) held its annual Cocktails for a Cause event at Greenacres Country Club. This year’s theme, Designing the Future, celebrated the women who have had the courage and determination to take steps to make a better life for themselves and their families. At Dress for Success it all begins with a suit, but we are so much more. We are support, we are encouragement, and we are an opportunity for women to learn, grow, and design a better future.

Empowering women to achieve economic independence is what drives the staff and the volunteers at Dress for Success every day. Since 2007 more than 4,000 women have been through our programs. This year alone, we will have served more than 1,000 women.

At DFSMC, we understand the challenges faced by low-income, underserved, and underrepresented women seeking to break the cycle of poverty. Through our personalized career development programs, we support women through every stage of their professional development, starting with their job search and leading to sustained employment. We are the only community program that responds to the career development needs of this vulnerable population.

Our Cocktails for a Cause event was an incredible success and I would like to congratulate this year’s honorees Dr. Jianping Wang, president of Mercer County Community College, PNC Bank, and Hamilton Jewelers.

The services we provide would not be possible without the generous support of the community. A tremendous thanks to our Designing the Future sponsors, guests, event committee, and all of the individuals and businesses that contributed auction prizes. Your generosity will help Dress for Success Mercer County continue its legacy of providing quality programming and support to women who are ready to enter and thrive in the workforce.

Melissa Tenzer

Executive Director