Friday, April 29, 2011

Prizes, Donations and more. Oh my!


We are thrilled to offer goody bags and prizes to our participants in the inaugural Power Walk for Dress for Success Vancouver! They have been generously donated to us by various organizations in the community.

The donors include:
  • Swimco
  • Lia Sophia
  • Aritzia
  • Omega Nutrition
  • Every Woman in the World Conferences
  • Wear Else
  • Haus of Luxe
  • Murale
  • Safeway
  • Popchips
  • The Province of British Columbia

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Nutrition Tips for Power Walkers!



Getting ready for the Power Walk? Trying to make healthy choices? Looking to set some health goals?

Figuring out how to stay healthy and incorporate nutrition into daily living can be a challenge - especially with the demands of a busy schedule. With the upcoming Power Walk for Dress for Success Vancouver on May 7, we're bringing healthy living to the forefront. And luckily for us, Shannon Chung from the Alive Health Centre has provided us with some handy tips for healthy living. Check out her tips here and get started on your path towards a healthier lifestyle!



Disclaimer: The health information provided in the linked document represents the opinion of the writer and is in no way affiliated with Dress for Success Vancouver.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Clear Out Your Clutter Day!


This Saturday marks the first annual Clear Out Your Clutter Day virtual event - a FREE event to help people clear out their clutter to make room for the things that really matter.

Join organizing guru and productivity expert Sherry Borsheim and get organized!
Her goal is to help 1000 people around the world clear out their clutter. This is a FREE event with guest speakers, handouts, resources, tools and audios. More details at www.bizorganizing.com/events/virtual-event/.

P.S. Remember to sort and send your gently-used career wear our way! ;)

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Get prepared for the Power Walk... Yoga-style!

Alex Mazerolle

We're very excited to introduce Alex, our Yogi extraordinaire, who has given us some wonderful tips for preparing for the Power Walk. Alex is actively involved with yoga and is currently a yoga instructor. Learn more about her passion for yoga, her reasons for getting involved with the Power Walk, and her yoga tips in the video below!




Don’t miss out - Alex will be leading a group yoga session on May 7 at Oakridge right before the Power Walk. To find out more and to register for the walk, click here. You can learn more about Alex and her yoga classes by visiting he
r Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/alexmazerolleyoga.

Alex and Deb at Rock101 this morning being interviewed on the Bro Jake show!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

New Carpets!

We're slowly getting things back to order in the office after having new carpets installed! A huge thank you goes out to Tandus and Donald Floors for donating the carpets and installation. What a difference!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Change Suits You


Join Wear Else between April 8 and April 21st as they present the Dress for Success Vancouver Clothing Exchange! By bringing in 2 pieces of gently used, work appropriate clothing into Wear Else, you will receive a $75 gift card in exchange.

You can also enter to win a Peter Kent handbag! See in store for details!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Meet Elisabeth Walker-Young, the face of the Power Walk!




We are thrilled to welcome Elisabeth Walker-Young as the face of The Power Walk for Dress for Success Vancouver!


Elisabeth retired in 2005 as a 13-year member of the Canadian Paralympic Swim Team, having represented Canada at 4 Summer Paralympic Games from Barcelona 1992 through to Athens 2004. Throughout her swimming career, she broke numerous Canadian and World records, won 3 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze Paralympic Games medals and was team captain for more than half of her career.


More recently, Elisabeth has worked in sport administration including operations for the Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. In 2010, Elisabeth had the incredible honour of running with the Olympic and Paralympic torches!


Last week, we had the wonderful opportunity to ask Elisabeth some questions about her life, Paralympic career, and community involvement. She also provided us with some handy tips for getting ready for the Power Walk and staying healthy. Check out our interview with Elisabeth here!


Learn more at Elisabeth’s blog http://elittlebitofthisandthat.blogspot.com or follow her on twitter at elisabethwy (she tweets more than she blogs at the moment).




calling all potential board members

Board Posting: Nominations are now open for a 2 year term on the Dress for Success Vancouver Board of Directors. Please read below to learn more and if you are interested send a cover email with your resume to dfsvancouver.deborah@yahoo.ca by 8 a.m. on April 19, 2011. The nominating team will be meeting during the week following to revue these and to create a short list for interviewing. The AGM for Dress for Success Vancouver is held late in June, and the term of service begins with the AGM.

Organization Name: Dress for Success Vancouver

Scope of : Local

Branch Name: NA

Website: http://www.dressforsuccess.org/vancouver

Nearest Intersection: Granville & West Hastings

Established: 1999 (DFSV Vancouver)

Budget : $350,000

Next Year Funding: Stable

Paid Staff: 4

Volunteer: 200

Board Meetings Per Year: 10 or 11

Approximate Time Requirement per Month: 9-12 hours

Length of Board Terms: 2 Years

Maximum Board Size: 13

Time of Board Meetings: 2nd Monday of the month at 5:15 pm

Location of Board Meetings: varies (primarily downtown Vancouver)

Issues Facing the Board: DFSV offers a variety of programs and the demand for our services is increasing. To meet this demand the Board is involved in Fundraising (both Corporate and private stakeholders), Strategic Planning, Service Delivery and Governance. New approaches to these challenges are always welcome.

Directors and Officers Liability Yes

Mandate:

The mission of Dress for Success is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

Dress for Success® Vancouver is a registered Canadian Charity that helps low and no income women to transition into the workforce.

While we may be best known for providing suits to women, it is our employment retention programs that are the cornerstone of the organization. Soon after Dress for Success was founded we came to recognize that finding work is only one step in a woman's journey towards economic independence; remaining employed and building a rewarding career are essential if a woman is to become self-sufficient.

Dress for Success relies on the financial contributions, in-kind donations and volunteer efforts of individuals and companies around the world who are committed to helping women take charge of their lives.

Organization Structure: Hierarchical

Developmental Stage: Established

Special Requirements:

Dress for Success Vancouver seeks to attract board members who want to help us achieve our mission. Skills in Fundraising, Management, Organizational Planning, Accounting and/or Legal would be preferred.

To assist DFSV in selecting the best candidate, please clearly indicate in your expression of interest your:

· Area of expertise/professional skill

· Academic/education

· Fund raising experience

· Connections to the community serviced by DFSV

· Experience with philanthropic organizations

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Getting Hitched?

Check out the Perfect Wedding Show on April 17 - all entry fees support Dress for Success Vancouver!

Friday, April 1, 2011

Join us for our first annual Power Walk!



What: Inaugural 5K Power Walk for Dress for Success Vancouver

When: Saturday, May 7, 2011 (Registration 7am; Event Starts 8am)

Where: Oakridge Centre, through Queen Elizabeth Park & back

Who: Clients, supporters, and friends of Dress for Success Vancouver

How: Register to walk ($20) or support a Power Walker/Team at http://www.supportdfsvan.org/powerwalk.php


Dress for Success Vancouver empowers women to make healthy choices in work and in life. The Power Walk plays a crucial role in ensuring that women understand the need for a well-balanced lifestyle.


By participating in the Power Walk for Dress for Success, you'll be taking an important step toward empowering economically disadvantaged women to achieve self-sufficiency and overall health and wellness. You'll be walking 5K to promote the Health & Wellness initiative of the Professional Women's Group, while raising funds and visibility for Dress for Success Vancouver.


We hope that you will join us in 2011 for the inaugural Power Walk for Dress for Success Vancouver. With your help we can change the life and future of women around the world! For information on teams, registering, supporting a team or an individual & our walk spokesperson, Paralympic Athlete Elisabeth Walker-Young, visit our website.


Visit our blog next week for an interview series with Elisabeth Walker-Young, 6-time Paralympic medalist and the face of the Power Walk for Dress for Success Vancouver!