Approaching a New Year has given us at Dress for Success a chance to reflect on all of the positive moments from the last year. The uncontested highlights of our organization’s past year are certainly the women we have had the opportunity to empower throughout that time.
Last week, one of these special women truly made an impact on our team. Arielle Plogman visited the Dress for Success StyleHER Studio for the first time to pick out 10 new pieces of clothing to start her new career in - and she didn’t leave without inspiring all of the people who helped style her.
Arielle came to Dress for Success upon starting a career cleaning homes at Cleaning Authority. She hopes to get her House Cleaning Technician (HCT) certification through Cleaning Authority within the next year. If she is able to do this, she will also have the opportunity to move into an administrative role within the company.
“After 30 days, you can interview and if you qualify they will pay for you to start training for your HCT,” Arielle said. “You have to have four skills to get this certification - speed, quality, attendance, and a positive attitude. And if you have those four, they will help you get your certificate.”
Arielle heard about our services through CAT House: Center for Addiction Treatment, where she has been in recovery for the past six months. Arielle re-admitted herself to the program after relapsing about a year ago, following the unexpected death of her mother. She is nonetheless grateful for everything in her past - including her recent relapse - because it led to her going through grief counseling.
“I really feel like God placed me there for a reason because having the grief counseling and the people that counseled it, they were definitely a godsend,” Arielle said. “It helped me open the door to learn how to grieve without trying to explain the pain.”
Arielle’s overall experience in recovery at CAT House has helped her immensely in her journey to get clean.
“I have learned a lot more now as far as understanding the disease aspect of it medically and scientifically. I feel like that really helped increase my chances of staying on this path, rather than allowing it to go untreated,” Arielle said.
The things she has learned from recovery were also translated into her experience being styled by us.
“There’s a therapeutic value of one person helping another. There’s a lot of blessings in that,” she said. “I struggle asking for help, so this is a big deal for me.”
Arielle showed immense appreciation throughout her styling appointment and noted the comfortability she felt during her appointment.
“I used to think a lot of people judged the recovery aspect of my life. It really means a lot that you all are so understanding,” she said.
Without even knowing it, Arielle made the work we do feel exceptionally more valuable by her positive attitude and infectious personality. She not only found 10 new pieces of clothing to start out her new job in, but she was also able to get a free haircut by Salon L’Amore before leaving our office.
Before leaving our office, Arielle shared with us just how special her styling experience had made her feel.
“Thank you all for helping me, and thank you for putting my name on my dressing room. That was a really cool feeling for me,” Arielle said. “You all are so awesome. I am just overwhelmed with gratitude right now.”
Arielle hopes to participate in our HigherHER program to continue building her skills, and eventually she would like to volunteer with us to help future clients have an experience like hers.
Dress for Success wishes all the best to each and every woman who enters our office, or reached out virtually, for support. If you would like to learn more about our StyleHER program or our HigherHER program, you can do so following the links.
We are also very grateful for our referral partner, CAT House: Center for Addiction Treatment, who referred Arielle as a client. If you would like to learn more about CAT House and the support they offer women, follow this link.
