Women in need can get the proper professional attire and necessary career skills to thrive in the workplace with the help of Dress for Success Greater Orlando.

As hard as it to believe now after more than a decade of involvement with the organization, Shequila Roberts never actually wanted to go to Dress for Success Greater Orlando in the first place. In fact, she clearly remembers sitting in her car crying, trying to muster the strength to walk into her initial appointment.

At the time, she was a single mother raising her young son after leaving an unhealthy relationship, and she was struggling to find a job that would allow her to work during the day and be with him on nights and weekends, even though she held two bachelor’s degrees. When she finally landed an interview for a position that fit her schedule, she realized she had no professional attire to wear to the meeting.

That’s when someone referred her to the local chapter of Dress for Success, an organization founded in New York in 1997 that has become the leading resource worldwide for advancing women in the workforce by providing gently used clothing, developmental tools and an overall network of support.

Still, Roberts was nervous and hesitant to ask for help. Suddenly, the boutique manager—a woman named Simone—came out to her car, offered some words of encouragement and motivated her to overcome her fear.

“I was having an emotional moment,” Roberts recalls. “But Simone brought me in, did my suit fitting, and the whole experience brought some sunshine to my world. I ended up getting the job, and from then on I vowed to help single moms everywhere.”

She fulfilled that promise by starting her own nonprofit, Determine Now, which aims to bridge the gap between educational systems, communities and families by offering conflict resolution, assistance to single mothers, support to grandparents who are raising young children and lessons about discipline to kids. Roberts also does meditation sessions through Determine Now, which she donates monthly to Dress for Success events both virtually and in person.

Whether with her own nonprofit or her continued connection to Dress for Success, Roberts strives to show women enduring a difficult time that everybody can use a hand at some point in their lives.

“People don’t want to ask for help or they don’t want it to be brought up in public,” she says. “But I tell them that I went through the program myself. I share my background and a piece of my story, and I tell them that it’s OK to need help, and that the help I got changed my life. … I’m happy that I came to Dress for Success. They stuck with me, and now I want to help everybody I can help.”

As inspirational as Roberts’ story is, she is far from alone. The Orlando chapter of Dress for Success is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2026, and in that time the organization has served 800 to 1,000 local women each year, helping them get their lives back on track.

Joann Febus, who started volunteering with Dress for Success almost 10 years ago when she moved to Orlando from New York, became executive director in 2022. She still gets moved by seeing the transformational effects that a new wardrobe can have.

“It’s so rewarding to see someone’s confidence immediately increase,” Febus says. “I’ve spoken to people who are frustrated and upset the moment they walk in, and I warn the volunteers that not everybody is going to be happy, because it is a humbling experience going somewhere to accept used clothing. … But by the time they’re done, we can change their entire attitude and outlook in an hour. 

“It’s such a good feeling. Most people want to hug you toward the end and they’re so excited. We ask if we can take pictures, and when they see themselves in the pictures, even they are shocked.”

Most women come to Dress for Success through a social services connection, but some also find it on their own and nobody is turned away. Before scheduling a one-on-one appointment in the boutique, they submit all of their sizes, and when they come in they receive up to five full outfits, two pairs of shoes, a handbag and accessories. Makeup and toiletries are occasionally available as well.

“You don’t know how many times women have said to me, ‘If it weren’t for Dress for Success, I wouldn’t be able to accept the job, because I don’t have anything professional to wear on day one,’” Febus says. “That alone is shocking to me, that someone could lose an opportunity. But then when they actually start the job, they feel confident. A lot of times they’ll send us pictures, like when moms take pictures of their kids on the first day of school. They do that on the first day of work and it’s so nice to see them happy.”

The women who benefit from the program include victims of poverty, human trafficking and abusive relationships, but Febus points out that other common clients are those who are returning to work after battling illnesses such as cancer and have endured significant financial and physical changes; recent college graduates who have no personal or family experience in professional environments; and seniors who are forced back into work for financial reasons.

As fun as the boutique experience is, Febus explains that it is actually secondary to the nonprofit’s main mission, which is to provide workforce development through its career center.

“It all depends on where they are in their journey to finding employment,” she says. “If they need help with a resume, we help them create a resume. If they already have one, we make it look better. We also work with people who are underemployed on how to interview in person as well as virtually, how to network, how to create a LinkedIn profile and how to attend a job fair.”

Like many independent Dress for Success affiliates, the Orlando chapter raises its own operating funds locally through community support, corporate partnerships, grants and donations. It partners with more than 75 other nonprofits, and Febus is especially grateful to CareerSource, which helped Dress for Success find a new home in Ocoee after its original location in Winter Park was damaged by Hurricane Ian just a few weeks after she became executive director.

As the only full-time employee, she is also thankful for the 22 volunteers who give their time and talents to the organization.

“We are 100% volunteer based and this is hard to run with just one person,” she says. “Most people want to volunteer in the boutique because they think it’s fun and they want to see a transformation—and it is—but we need support in other areas as well, such as events, marketing, fundraising and administrative. This program cannot exist without the volunteers, who are amazing.”

Dress for Success always welcomes donations, including a list of specific clothing items depending on the time of year that it posts on its website. Also on the site, $25 donations to honor the anniversary can be made, as well as larger financial amounts.

It all goes toward helping someone who is struggling to turn their life around and reach their full potential.

“It helps the whole community,” Roberts says. “I never want to see Dress for Success go out of business, because the confidence and reassurance that it provides to women in times of need is just unmatched.”