Lawmakers & Staff Donate Clothing for YWCA’s Dress for Success Program

Members and staff at the Hawaiʻi State Legislature donated 432 pounds of gently used professional clothing, handbags, shoes, and other assorted items to the Dress for Success Program hosted by the YWCA O‘ahu.

Lawmakers, including members of the Women’s Legislative Caucus, collected 432 pounds of gently used professional clothing for the YWCA’s Dress for Success program. (Standing, from left) Rep. Della Au Belatti, Rep. Cynthia Thielen, Sen. Rosalyn H. Baker, Rep. Nadine K. Nakamura, Rep. Gregg Takayama, Maryann Bray, YWCA Lead Member Services Associate, Rep. Lisa Kitagawa, House Speaker Scott K. Saiki, Rep. Sylvia Luke, Kepola Dudoit, YWCA resident artist, (seated from left) Rep. Linda Ichiyama (with baby Emily), Rep. Dee Morikawa, Rep. Joy San Buenaventura, and Cecilia Fong, the YWCA Director of Fund Development. PC: Hawai‘i House of Representatives.

The items were collected from March 25 to April 10 and presented to the YWCA on Monday, April 15, 2019. The clothing will be provided to women—many of them formerly incarcerated—making a second start in life with the help of the YWCA.

Dozens of individuals brought, bags, boxes, and bundles of clothes, nearly filling the entire front portion of Rep. Gregg Takayama’s Office (District 34 – Pearl City, Waimalu, and Pacific Palisades).

“This will be a great help for recently incarcerated women to look their best when applying for and working at a new job,” said Rep. Takayama, chair of the House Public Safety, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee. “I want to thank everyone for their compassion and generosity to help these women, especially the members of the Women’s Legislative Caucus.”

Receiving the donations on behalf of the YWCA were Maryann Bray, Lead Member Services Associate; Cecilia Fong, Director of Fund Development; and Kepola Dudoit, resident artist.

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