Cara Chicago and CD One Price Cleaners Team Up for Clothing Drive
Clothing donations will also be used to help re-stock another non-profit following roof collapse
Chicago – Cara Chicago and CD One Price Cleaners are honored to once again partner for their eighth consecutive professional clothing drive. From March 1 through March 31, all 34 Chicagoland CD One Price Cleaners locations will serve as donation sites for gently used professional attire. CD One will generously dry clean and press all donated clothing for Cara. Items being collected include suits, dresses, pants, shirts, blouses, and overcoats (in all sizes).
Cara specializes in creating hope, jobs, and opportunity for people who are ready to lift themselves out of poverty and homelessness. They accomplish this through a combination of personal and professional skills training, access to a diverse network of employment partners, and by providing one-year on-the-job retention coaching for their participants. Clothing collected from this drive will be given to Cara participants for job interviews.
“Our franchise owners are excited to partner with Cara once again in order to give back to our community,” said Jonathon Reckles, Director of Marketing for CD One Price Cleaners. “Cara helps those affected by poverty get and keep quality jobs and we are happy to do our part to empower these job seekers to look good and feel confident during their interview process.”
Weigel Broadcasting Co.’s MeTV FM and CW26 will once again proudly serve as media partners for the campaign, building community awareness through radio and television ads and featured stories on The Jam, seen weeknights at 6:00 PM CST on The U.
“We are excited to join CD One Price Cleaners in helping Cara execute its mission,” said Molly Kelly, Corporate Director of Media Strategy, Weigel Broadcasting Co. “We can use the power of our media to broaden the reach of this message all across Chicago and its suburbs growing the number of donations and making a positive difference in the community.”
Cara is also utilizing this opportunity to assist a fellow non-profit, Gentlemen’s Closet. The Woodlawn neighborhood organization lost more than three-fourths of their clothing they provide to unemployed or underemployed residents as a result of
a roof collapse under heavy snowpack last week. Additionally, Cara has offered to outfit any clients of Gentlemen’s Closet seeking immediate need as they rebuild in the coming months.
“Cara is the Irish word for ‘friend’ and we were founded on the belief that anyone experiencing a low can lift themselves up with the help of a friend,” said Maria Kim, President & CEO of Cara. “We are honored to be able to be a friend to Gentlemen’s Closet and ensure they can continue their critical work and our shared mission. We are also grateful to our friends at CD One Price Cleaners for our eighth year partnering together and to everyone who contributes.”
Last year, CD One Price Cleaners collected more than 7,000 items of clothing and they are challenging existing customers and community members to sift through their wardrobes and make this the most successful drive yet.
About Cara
Cara’s mission is to unlock the power and purpose within our communities and ourselves to create real and lasting success. Through its personal and professional development and access to employment opportunities, Cara serves as a leader in poverty alleviation in Chicago and beyond. Since 1991, more than 7,300 people have been placed into more than 11,500 jobs and started on their path to self-sufficiency. To learn more, please visit www.caracollective.org.
