Client Spotlight, Genevieve Sechter

Name: Genevieve Sechter, PWG (Professional Women's Group) Delegate 2013 - 2014

Where do you live? Vancouver, BC

When did you first get introduced to Dress for Success Vancouver? Maureen Houghton at Gordon Neighbourhood House referred me while taking some professional workshops in February 2012.

What has been your most important lesson learned from the PWG program? 

The most important lesson that I have learned from the PWG program is that it is never too late to start something new, reinvent yourself or become the person you were always destined to become.

What is your occupation? 

I work full-time as the Receptionist at Regent College (a theological graduate school on the UBC campus). It is an amazing place to work. I love meeting people from all over the world and reflecting on diverse angles of important issues. There is always something new to ponder.

Who is your hero? 

Jesus is definitely my hero. I have officially been a Christian for a shorter time than I have been involved with Dress For Success and He continues to show me how deeply He understands, loves, and supports me. Being a Christian is not a one-time event. It's not a baptism. It's not a set of rules. It's an ongoing, dynamic and intricate relationship between my soul and God, who much to my surprise, chose me and continues to choose me every day in tangible and personal ways.

Dream vacation? 

One of those thatched roof huts in Tahiti that is propped above the water - exotic and romantic (my style)! The opportunity to speak French while enjoying palm trees and glimmering blue waters is very tempting! Not to mention that I have never been south of the equator. It would be the perfect location to start with! Do a Google image search for Tahiti resorts and you will see what I'm talking about!

What is your motto? 

Love fiercely, hope incessantly, and consider that every experience and person has something valuable to teach me about myself and God. I'm not perfect, but I risk everything I have to give it my best shot!

The Body Shop partners with Dress for Success Canada

Since the Fall 2012, we have been exploring a partnership between the Canadian Dress for Success affiliates and The Body Shop. It has been exciting to see this relationship develop. The Body Shop is about to launch a major fundraising campaign starting August 12, 2013 in which Dress for Success in Canada will be a participant.

Dragon Fruit Lip Butter Campaign

The Dragon Fruit Lip Butter Campaign is an In Store Promotion run by The Body Shop in support of small local charities and grassroots initiatives. The profit from the sale of the lip butter will be shared with three charities. The profit is directed to the charities through the Dragon Lip Butter Grant Program of The Body Shop Foundation in the U.K.

Specifically, The Body Shop will donate 100% of the profits to charity. 25% of the donation will be paid to the Body Shop Foundation to support its international initiatives. 75% of the donation will divided between three Canadian charities based on the following format:

• Every customer will receive one token for every lip butter product purchased in the store. The customer may vote by placing their token in the voting box to indicate their preferred charity.
• The most popular charity will receive 50% of the donation amount
• The second most popular charity will receive 30% of the donation amount
• The third most popular charity will receive 20% of the charity amount

While the campaign will run for one year starting Aug 12, 2013, the product will be actively promoted in store for 3 months. The vote allocation at the end of three months will determine the donation distribution as noted above. As part of the campaign, each charity will be profiled for one month in every store. Dress for Success Canada will be profiled in September. The other two charities involved in this year’s campaign are Polar Bears International and the Seeds of Diversity.

In 2012, the campaign ran for 6 months and raised just over $22,000. The charities involved were The Humane Society of Canada (1st place), Canadian

Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (2nd place) and the Canadian Parks & Wilderness Society (3rd place).

So please make sure you vote for Dress for Success Canada- we look forward to your support! Thank you.

Volunteer Spotlight, Jen Newsted

Name: Jen Newsted

How long have you volunteered at DFS Vancouver? I just had my 6-month volunteer-versary.

What role do you do? Every Thursday I alternate as Lead & Stylist, and I help with social media, so don’t forget to check out @DFSVancouver on Twitter, Instagram & gives them a like on Facebook.

What is the best thing about volunteering here? I am endlessly blown away by the women I meet, all with different stories, all with the same goals to get their lives to a better place. The best thing about the hour I spend with a client, is seeing the smile on her face when she comes out of the fitting room. That smile is filled with the confidence she’s been needing and I know my job is done and she is going to walk out the door and ace that interview.

What do you do with your time when not volunteering at DFS Vancouver? Marketing Communications keeps me busy from 9 – 5.

Dream vacation? Sun. Sand. Book. Repeat.

What is your motto? Business time.

Volunteer Spotlight: Katherine Grant, Volunteer extraordinaire & shoe-a-holic

Name:
 Katherine Grant

How long have you volunteered at DFS Vancouver?

I have been volunteering on all the fundraising events for Dress for Success Vancouver for 9 years!


What role do you do?

I own an Audio Visual staging and presentation company, so I provide all the AV equipment, create the onscreen content, write the scripts and speeches and stage manage the events.  I also produce the collateral material (logo’s, posters, invitations, tickets) as required.  I try to introduce as many of my clients to Dress for Success Vancouver so they may become sponsors as well! I politely (but with determination) get all my friends to support Dress for Success Vancouver by getting them to attend all the events, donating clothing and spending money at the silent auctions.  They are wonderful friends!!!


What is the best thing about volunteering here? Any memorable moments?

I am so blessed to have met and made friends with these wonderful women!  Val, Deb, Lucia, Jennifer and Christina have enriched my life and made me even more grateful for how lucky I am. And Sandy!!! He is the best!  The entire staff and volunteers are angels! Too many to mention… Sara, Veronica, Virginia, plus 300 more!


What do you do with your time when not volunteering at DFS Vancouver?

I golf, read, travel, paint watercolours and occasionally work a 60 hour week, (ha – every week is a 60 hour week). I never sleep. And I drink too much coffee.


Who is your style icon?

I love Joseph Ribkoff.  They are beautiful, quirky, colourful clothes that fit like a dream! And anything made by Nine West or Aldo. I have a terrible shoe addiction and am too embarrassed to say how many pairs I own (103!). 


Dream vacation?

Last year I went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth.  It was inspiring and so far, hard to top.


What is your motto?

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."- Mother Teresa 

Mentor Spotlight: Kim Conroy, Career Centre

Name:  Kim Conroy

How long have you been a mentor with DFS Vancouver? Since 2006 (with some time off in 2012).  Started with Saturday group and now with Thursday TDPWG group.

What is the best thing about being a mentor here? Any memorable moments? The best thing about being a mentor is making connections with women that I would never have had the opportunity to meet otherwise.   The diversity of the women I have worked with is amazing to me.  I am humbled by the stories I hear and truly inspired by the strength and courage I see and hear about.  Even though our life experiences may have been different, I believe that the opportunity to connect and acknowledge that we are not alone on this journey can offer insight and support to us all.  I am very grateful for the lessons I have learned about myself through all my experiences with DFS, but mostly that compassion and connection enable us all to develop courage and a stronger sense of belonging.

What do you do with your time when not volunteering at DFS Vancouver?  Right now, I am in my own period of transition, so I spend a lot of time reading and writing.  I am an avid journal writer and have also recently started a blog.  I am also passionate about photography, a relatively new interest, and I have taken a number of workshops in Santa Fe and Vancouver to improve my skills and to connect with other enthusiasts.

Who is your style icon? Don’t really have a style icon, but people who inspire me to live a more authentic life include Brene Brown, Phillip Moffitt and kd lang.

Dream vacation?  An opportunity to learn about a place and the people who live there – and also to make some great photographs!  That is really energizing, whether it is close to home or around the world.

What is your motto? I'll leave you with a quote from Brene Brown: "Empathy is simply listening, holding space, withholding judgement, emotionally connecting and communicating that incredibly healing message 'You're not alone'".

Client Spotlight: Linda Leadley, 2012 Professional Women's Group Graduate

Name: Linda Leadley

Where do you live? Burnaby, BC


When did you first get introduced to Dress for Success Vancouver?  May of 2004 through a work program that I was involved in at the time.


What has been your most important lesson learned from the PWG program?  Self-marketing for employment is about more than an outfit.


What is your occupation? Currently I am finishing an Accounting and Payroll course to add payroll to my skills as Bookkeeper.

Who is your hero? Many different types of “hero’s” came to mind for this question but my romantic hero would be Hugh Grant.

Dream vacation? Driving through and around North America.

What is your motto?  Show up and do your best.

Employee Spotlight: Christina Florencio, Marketing & Sponsorship Manager

Name: Christina Florencio

What is your role? Marketing & Sponsorship Manager since Novemeber 2012

Volunteer since: 2009

What is the best thing about working here? Working with inspiring people: my co-workers and board members, the volunteers, our donors and sponsors and most of all, our clients. I see the most powerful transformations everyday. It is so rewarding.

Can you share a memorable moment? My most memorable moment was my first shift as a make up artist and I applied make up on a client that was trying to change her life around. She was a crystal meth addict for over 20 years and her face lit up the moment she saw herself in the mirror. It was such an empowering moment for the both of us.

What do you do with your time outside of the 9-5 with DFS Vancouver? I dance with a Filipino Cultural Dance group and I enjoy dancing Flamenco. You can also find me walking/biking the seawall or enjoying a delicious meal at a neighbourhood hole in the wall or at the newest resto in town, usually paired with a big glass of wine or craft beer.

Who is your style icon? Jennifer Lopez

My dream vacation would be... Bora Bora, French Polynesia

My motto is: A girl's gotta eat