Dignity U Wear Receives Grants to Support Charitable Mission

Dignity U Wear, a nonprofit apparel company based in Jacksonville, Fla., recently received two grants to help it in its mission to provide new clothing to men, women and children in need. A $14,864 grant from the Community Foundation of Jacksonville will support an emergency clothing program for the homeless in partnership with The Sulzbacher Center. Those who visit the center will receive necessities such as underwear, socks and sweats through the program. The funding will also help Dignity U Wear secure clothing items from other manufacturers and distributors. A second grant from the Wachovia Foundation will allow Dignity U Wear to expand its partnership with schools in Northeast Florida. The nonprofit provided more than $300,000 worth of new clothing to schoolchildren this year.

“These grants are giving us the opportunity to produce the best results in addressing the needs of Jacksonville’s social safety net,” said Robert S. Bryan Jr., executive director of Dignity U Wear. “We see them as the beginning of an evolution that will allow us to meet the needs of social service agencies and public schools as they deal with shrinking resources and increased demand for assistance.” Founded in 2000, Dignity U Wear has provided more than $101 million worth of clothing to approximately 390,000 individuals to date. Visit www.dignityuwear.org.

In the October issue: How to capitalize on the babywearing boon Steps that make CPSIA compliance easier Catering retail to the Canadian consumer Plus: Tween fashion takes a rock ‘n’ roll spin Coming In November/December: Tips for boosting bedding sales The 2010 trade show preview Profiles of the 2009 Earnie winners Plus: Color makes a splash in the specialty sportswear category