News

IAM opens Working Women’s Clothing Closet

By Bill Moss, Published: April 12, 2018

A woman struggling to make ends meet often can't afford a new wardrobe, an interview dress or specialized work clothes, or required clothing like medical scrubs or work boots.

That's why Interfaith Assistance Ministry has opened a Working Women’s Clothing Closet to help local women who need appropriate or job specific clothing for a new or an existing job.
The Community Foundation of Henderson County awarded IAM a $5,000 Women in Need of Support (WINS) grant to help pay for clothing and shoes for the Working Women’s Clothing Closet. The grant will be used to purchase required clothing for health care, service sector, food industry, manufacturing, office work and other jobs. In 1989, seven dedicated women from Henderson County who had a passion and desire to help women working to improve their lives established the WINS Endowment Fund.
“We are so grateful for the generous assistance the Community Foundation’s WINS grant is providing to help IAM launch our Working Women’s Clothing Closet for women who are working hard to help keep their families and themselves afloat,” said Elizabeth Willson Moss, IAM’s executive director. “The cost of purchasing specialized shoes and clothing such as scrubs for health care jobs and steel-toed shoes and boots for industry can quickly reach $100 or more. We are thankful that our community can help us give our neighbors in need a hand-up with this clothing.”
In March, IAM expanded crisis service hours to Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. to help residents who need crisis assistance seek help on the weekend.
“Many of the local residents that IAM helps are working women,” said Becky Polonsky, IAM’s Board President and commercial relationship manager at United Community Bank. “We hope we can help them become more self-sufficient and more successful in their jobs.”
Interfaith Assistance Ministry is located at 310 Freeman Street, off Four Seasons Boulevard, near the Blue Ridge Mall and beside Tequila’s restaurant. For more information, call 697-7029. To make a charitable donation to IAM, go on line at www.iam-hc.org or mail a check to IAM, PO Box 2562, Hendersonville, NC 28792.