We’ve all heard the saying, confidence is key. The key to acing a job interview; to pursuing the life you want; to wellbeing.
For women going through crisis, confidence can diminish in the blink of an eye. When women are forced to prioritize survival, that vital confidence often is replaced by upheaval, confusion and uncertainty.
Women Giving Back, a nonprofit based in Sterling, Virginia, provides a space that helps women regain that confidence and empower them to improve their lives.
With its core program, the Women Giving Back boutique, the organization offers a traditional, yet free, shopping experience for women and children facing crises like housing insecurity, domestic violence situations and release from incarceration.
“A lot of the women are from domestic violence situations, so they’re leaving in the middle of the night with just the clothes that they’re wearing,” said Nicole Morris, CEO of Women Giving Back. “They really have to start rebuilding their lives; this is a first stop to that.”
How choice leads to confidence
While browsing Women Giving Back’s 4,000-square-foot boutique adorned with positive quotes and ornate lighting fixtures and art pieces just like a traditional boutique, shoppers get to browse for up to 62 pieces provided to them at no cost: up to 50 articles of clothing, five pairs of shoes, one coat, one purse, three jewelry pieces and two bras.
Women Giving Back strives for the shopping process to promote a sense of normalcy for its shoppers, with helpful shopping attendants, dressing rooms and clothing presented on hangers and racks rather than boxes and bins.
“It’s just like any other high-end boutique, except there are no price tags or cash register,” Morris said.
Quality, in addition to quantity, matters. Volunteers sort through thousands of donations to determine what gets sent onto the floor. Like a real boutique, shoppers don’t have to sift through dirty, stained or worn-and-torn pieces to find what they want.
Partnering with about 300 independent organizations, including women’s shelters, supportive housing programs, government agencies and faith-based organizations, Women Giving Back runs the boutique on a referral basis. Qualifying shoppers receive a referral, and the organization coordinates a designated, private shopping time that works for them.
“We see women coming in, and they’re hanging by a thread on one bra strap,” Morris said. “To walk out into the world and know that you’re judged instantly just by your appearance is difficult, and we know the power of clothing – it makes you feel confident when you’re wearing a certain outfit, and a lot of the women don’t have that experience.”
By offering its shoppers with a true boutique experience – sifting through racks, trying pieces on and finding something that matches their personal style– the organization provides clients with the first step of confidence toward a new life.
“We really try to not make it feel like a handout; it’s really about empowering mom to make her own choices, to pick out what she wants for herself and her kids,” Morris said. “Some of us, we’re blessed that we have that hard decision to make, like, what should they wear today? Families don’t always have that.”
Meeting women where they are
Outside of its physical storefront, Women Giving Back is committed to assisting women who may be unable to get to the store with its Bag-To-Go program. A personal volunteer shopper shops for the client, personalizing bags of clothing in the appropriate size to be delivered by the client’s case worker.
To make sure there are no barriers to young women feeling beautiful and confident, Women Giving Back also hosts an annual prom boutique, providing free prom gowns, shoes, makeup and nail polish to homeless or low-income students during prom season.
Through its boutique and other programs like Diaper Pantry, Snack Pack Program and Holiday Gifts for Kids program, over 25,000 women and children are impacted by Women Giving Back each year. With an unwavering commitment to making an impact on the lives of at-risk women and children in Virginia and the Washington, D.C. metro area, Women Giving Back ensures that everyone it serves is empowered to improve their life, one piece of clothing at a time.
To learn more about Women Giving Back, explore its website. Learn about volunteering opportunities here.
