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Provide clothes for woman to success
為女性提供走向成功之路的衣服
Many single low-income women who try to enter the work force find themselves competing for jobs that require business clothes they can’t afford. That’s where Suited for Change comes in.
很多努力尋找工作的低收入單身女性發現，自己要通過競爭找到工作就需要合適的職業服裝,但是她們又買不起。這就是“搭配著裝適應改變”這個機構應運而生的原因。
“We offer women professional attire and professional consultation to assist them in entering or re-entering the workforce,” says Michelle Yorkman, a Program Director at Suited for Change. The D.C. non-profit is all about empowering women, whatever their background, unemployed or on welfare, recovering drug addicts, victims of domestic abuse, recent immigrants. Over the past 15 years, the organization has helped more than 12,000 women as they looked for work.
米歇爾約克曼是“搭配著裝適應改變”機構的項目主任。她說:“我們為婦女提供職業服裝和職業咨詢,幫助她們進入或者重新進入就業市場。”約克曼說，無論求助婦女的背景如何,不管她們是失業、依靠福利救濟、正處于戒毒階段、還是家庭暴力的受害者，或者是新來的移民，首都華盛頓的這家非贏利機構都會幫助她們，目的就是為了對婦女提供支持。在過去的15年里，這家機構已經幫助了1.2萬多名尋找工作的女性。
“We have a seminar series that happens two or three times a year where we do image consultation,she says. “We show you how to dress and behave professionally. We offer business etiquette training, financial management skills. The kind of human resources, paperwork management, how to learn about your benefits, everything that they can possibly need to get in the door and once they are there to be successful.”
“我們每年舉辦2-3次系列講座，專門進行形象方面的咨詢。我們教參加講座的女性如何著裝，行為舉止如何顯得專業得體。我們還提供商業禮儀方面的培訓，教授理財的技能,人力資源、文案管理以及如何了解你有哪些權益等等。這些都是她們踏人工作崗位之后可能用得上的知識和技能。這樣她們一旦邁入職場,就能夠盡快獲得成功。”
After completing a job training or skills-development program, Suited for Change women are ready to be dressed for success, to donations from individuals, companies and manufacturers.
在參加過就業培訓或者技能發展項目之后，女性們就開始為獲得成功而穿衣打扮。這得感謝來自個人、公司和服裝廠商的慷慨捐助。
“We have suits. We have ates. We have dresses，” she says. “During winter months, we have coats. So the first visit they receive two outfits and then once they've secured full-time employment, they can come back and receive three more, so that they have a week’s worth of outfits. With these outfits they get shoes, a handbag, accessories as well as one on one consultation with one of our volunteers to assist them in mixing and matching the outfits to maximize the clothing that they receive.”
約克曼說:“我們這里有套裝，有單件服裝，也有女式禮服。在冬季,我們還有大衣。當她們要去面試的時候，她們會得到兩套衣服。之后,一旦她們確實得到一份全職工作，她們可以回來,再得到3套服裝。這樣，她們就可以一個星期每天換一套衣服。和這些服裝相配的還有鞋子、一只手提包以及女性所需的常用物品。同時,我們的志愿者還會給這些女性進行一對一的咨詢,教她們如何混合搭配幾套衣服,充分利用這些服裝?！?/div>
Lucy, 43, has been employed as a temporary work and now hopes to find a permanent position.
這位43歲的餺西現在是臨時工，她希望找到一個永久的職位。
She says this is her first visit to Suited for Change. “I picked those three outfits but I'm only taking home two，” she says. “It makes me feel good about myself. I'm excited.”
露西第一次造訪“搭配著裝適應改變”機構時說我挑選了3套服裝，但我只準備帶回家兩套。這些衣服讓我感覺很好。我很高興。”
Volunteer Elaine Polkey serves as a wardrobe consultant to the visiting women. “I’d say the majority of people that come here have never had the opportunity to experiment with their clothing or to have a choice,” she says. “But you can get them to experiment, try on. That’s I think the key. Some people just know how to dress. They look fantastic. Other people are really a little bit shy about trying new things. And when you can get them to do it, they can see how good they look. That’s when the confidence grows.
志愿者艾琳波爾奇是為來這里的婦女提供著裝咨詢的顧問,她說來這里的大多數人從來沒有機會有穿衣方面的經驗，從來沒有什么選擇。但是你可以讓她們體驗穿衣著裝，讓她們試穿。我認為這是關鍵所在。一些人懂得如何搭配穿衣,她們看上去非常出色。其他一些人對于嘗試新的東西有些害羞，放不開。你可以讓她們嘗試一番，讓她們看到自己看上去有多好。這可以增強她們的信心.”
Building self confidence is the ultimate goal, according to Suited for Change’s Michelle York-man. “When you look good, you feel you are projecting a professional image. You are going to perform in a professional manner,” she says. “You’re going to feel as though you are qualified. You’re going to feel that your answers are alright because you feel good about yourself and you are not self conscious about how you are being perceived or whether or not your clothes are appropriate for that job.”
“搭配著裝適應改變”機構的約克曼說，建立自信是這個機構的最終目標當你看上去很精神，你就會覺得你自己渾身上下都散發出一種很專業的氣息。你舉手投足之間會表現出一種專業化的樣子。你會覺得好像自己真的能行。你會覺得你的回答都很到位，因為你對自己感覺良好。你可能連你自己都沒有意識到,別人是怎樣看待你的，或者說你的衣服是否適合那份工作。”
A visit to the organization's vast fashion warehouse, she says, can be a transforming experience for the client and her whole family. “There have been clients that put on a suit, came out, looked in the mirror and began to cry，” she says. “There have been clients who had their children waiting for them in the lobby. When they come out to show their new suit, the family is so oveijoyed because they understand that this woman is making the step to become a working woman, which comes with a certain prestige. They know that this is a new start not only for themselves, but this is an example for their daughters.”
她說,對于尋求幫助的女性客戶以及她的全家來說,參觀這家機構大量的時裝庫存是一種全新難忘的經歷:“有一些顧客,她們穿上一套衣服，出來對著鏡子看了之后，竟然激動地哭了起來。還有一些顧客讓她們的孩子在大廳等她們。當她們出來展示她們的新套裝的時候，整個家庭都會喜出望外,因為他們知道，這位婦女朝著成為一名職業女性的方向邁出了步伐，而且具備了相當的素質,她們明白，這不僅對于她們自己來說是一個新的開端，而且也為自己的女兒樹立了榜樣?！?/p>
