Full story

In the midst of a pandemic, Dress for Success Oregon is seeking to be as responsive as we can to our clients' immediate needs. Over the past few weeks, we have been donating scrubs to our clients working on the healthcare frontlines, we've been moving our programs online so they can be accessed from anywhere in the state, we have created online resources for those who are in the midst of unemployment and job search, and we have plans to do so much more.

But while we're in the midst of this crisis, it's difficult to envision the future ahead of us. But we know what to expect - the global economic disruption caused by Covid-19 will mean that our workforce tools and wrap-around support for womxn will be crucial in rebuilding economic health and stability in Oregon. 

As we saw after the 2008 Great Recession, womxn struggled with slow and stagnating economic recovery, while men saw steady recovery. Even jobs that were recovered did not place womxn at their former level of employment, and many women who re-entered the workforce after losing their jobs in the Great Recession encountered an "involuntary shift" to part-time work, the effects of which led to reduced overall earnings and a continuing "large and persistent gender pay gap" (source: Aspen Institute). 

We have no reason to expect different in the wake of Covid-19, and we need your support to help us continue to respond to the immediate needs of womxn in our community, and to ensure that we are there for a future in which we will be urgently needed.

Wear your support of our work helping womxn overcome barriers to stability and socioeconomic equity, and know that the dollars raised from this merchandise go directly toward helping womxn in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.