When it comes to Mattamy Homes’ sales agents, Sue Andrews and Sharon Pacetti are veterans who have worked as a team for 16 years. Recently, Andrews and Pacetti focused their energy on enabling other women to enter the Jacksonville job market. By amassing women’s professional garments and monetary donations for the local nonprofit group, Success Suits You, Andrews, Pacetti and many other donors aided low-income women who are trying to make a tailored transition into the professional workforce.
While most of the pieces they collected came from the closets of generous women, Andrews and Pacetti also managed to convince scores of men to donate cash for the acquisition of new women’s clothing accessories.
“I am pleased to say one man dropped $100 in my hat,” said Andrews of a recent Sales & Marketing Council meeting at which she and Pacetti made a spirited plea for member donations. “We told them, ‘If you don’t have a woman’s suit, then we want your money.’ The response has been incredible.”
As part of the clothing drive, Andrews and Pacetti arranged drop-off locations at homebuilders’ model homes around the city including one at Mattamy Homes’ model and sales office at Bartram Springs. Andrews and Pacetti both donated at least 10 suits from their closets to help the cause. The donated items of clothing were stored in one of the closets at the model home, and signs explained to visitors about the drive and the organization, Success Suits You.
Each Success Suits You client receives one suit when she has a job interview and a second suit when she gets the job, as well as ongoing support to help build a successful career. The organization accepts new or nearly new coordinated, contemporary, interview appropriate clothing including skirts, pant suits, blouses, blazers, jackets, and shoes.
Mattamy Homes also donated money to the clothing drive, as well as all of the lenders associated with the home builder, Andrews said. They have collected more than $300 and about 85 suits so far.