Our volunteers truly make a difference!

Become A Volunteer - Sign up for an orientation today!
Please RSVP to volunteer@wardrobe.org

Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do at Wardrobe for Opportunity.  From sorting through donations to providing e xceptional service to our clients, volunteers are involved in every aspect of the organization.  Last year alone, volunteers gave 8,000 hours in service.

Upcoming Orientations:
- Every Wednesday at 10am in Oakland
(Please RSVP two days in advance to ensure availability)

How do I become a volunteer?

Attend a new volunteer orientation (refer to the schedule above).  Sign up for an orientation with the Volunteer Manager by calling 510-463-4100 x 216 or by emailing volunteer@wardrobe.org. Please make sure to RSVP two days in advance to ensure there is space available.

What volunteer opportunities are available?

Volunteers provide a number of services to the organization.  Picking up donations, finding that perfect professional image for a client, impact assessment, sorting through donations, public speaking and special events are just some of the ways to be involved.  Details on all areas are discussed during the new volunteer orientation.

How can a Corporate Group get involved?

Corporate group volunteering is a great to give back to your community while interacting on a different level with your colleagues.  Participate in a Mock-Interview Workshop, Resume Workshop, or give a presentation on your industry(i.e. finance, technology, marketing, hospitality, retail).  For more information, contact Donna Souza, Manager of Corporate Partnerships and Events at 510-463-4100 x 212 or dsouza@wardrobe.org.
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A Word about Volunteering from our Founder

In 1995, an article in Working Women magazine about the work being done by the Bottomless Closet in Chicago and the Career Closet in San Jose struck a cord with me. Aha, I thought, this is a way I could contribute. Here is a way I could really make a difference and give back to women in my community. And so the Wardrobe For Opportunity began with the support of friends, neighbors, acquaintances and businesswomen introduced by Shirley Nelson, chairman of Summit Bank.

Organized by interested community women, the Wardrobe today is staffed mostly by volunteers willing to give their time and professional expertise to help jobseekers who need a helping hand. Board members give freely of their time and expertise to ensure compliance with financial and legal guidelines for nonprofit organizations. People with experience in retail give their time to scout the Bay Area for clothes that we can buy at a reasonable price. Volunteers go through our donations each week, sorting what is suitable from what is not. Other volunteers receive training and provide the personal shopping experience for our clients.

The payoff for becoming a volunteer is enormous. This work is so compelling because we are really able to give jobseekers the confidence that comes with being well dressed. Volunteers are rewarded with big smiles, lovely thank you notes, and sometimes tears of gratitude. We see a change in body language as a jobseeker tries on lovely professional clothing, often for the first time in their life; we feel privileged to be part of this transformation. We truly feel that we are having an impact on the self-sufficiency of families when we help women and men enter the job market and take control over their lives.

I encourage all of you to volunteer some part of your time and to share some part of your income with those who are in need. If we all give something, the world will become a better place for us all.

Jeri Foster, Founder

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