Cal Poly Career Services is hosting its second-annual Clothing Closet event and needs your help in collecting professional clothing for Cal Poly students who cannot afford the clothing required for interviews and career fairs.
Many Cal Poly students lack the resources they need to be successful. At our university, 49 percent of students receive some form of need-based financial aid, and 4,000 students receive Pell Grants each year. In February 2015, KSBY ran a three-part series on homeless college students on the Central Coast, making public a private struggle. Over the past academic year, the Division of Student Affairs has provided 493 students with free food through the student food pantry, awarded $288,753 in Cal Poly Cares grants to high-need students, and consulted with over 600 students who were experiencing financial hardships and other immediate concerns.
Building off of these efforts, Career Services is excited to announce their second annual Clothing Closet event to take place this Fall.
At the inaugural 2015 event, Career Services provided free professional clothing to 228 students. Of those students, 42 percent were PELL-eligible, 24 percent had an Expected Family Contribution of $0, and 41 percent were first-generation college students. With your help, we hope to serve even more students at this year’s event.
To help, drop off your current-style, gently-used, and clean professional clothing to the drop-off bin at the SLO Chamber of Commerce. We’re looking for men’s and women’s dress shirts, pants, blazers, and suits; skirts and dresses; and belts, ties, and shoes.
Professional Clothing Drop-Off Bin
SLO Chamber of Commerce
Address: 895 Monterey St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Drop Off Dates: Now through August 31, 2016
The Career Services Clothing Closet event aims to ensure that all students have the same chance at success by providing them with free, high-quality work clothes necessary to create a memorable first impression at career fairs and interviews.
This project will be heavily marketed across campus, but as we did last year, Career Services will leverage our partnerships in Student Academic Services and Financial Aid to specifically reach lower-income students.
Career Services is proud to partner with the SLO Chamber of Commerce again for this important event.
For more information, please contact Cal Poly Career Services at 805-756-2501 or visit the Career Services website at careerservices.calpoly.edu.