Media Contact:
Cary Alden
504.834.7517 (o)
504-914-7517 (c)
caldenpr@cox.net
Dress for Success Contact:
Meaghan Bonavita
917.670.7286 (c) meg@dfsneworleans.org
(New Orleans LA - April 17, 2017) - Dress for Success New Orleans will hold its 8th annual Suits & Salads Luncheon & Fundraiser at The Hyatt Regency Hotel on Friday, May 12, to benefit their programs promoting economic independence of women in the community.
This year's event will feature keynote speaker, Simone Bruni Crouere, Founder of Demo Diva, who is also donating 10% dumpster sales to Dress For Success New Orleans during April and May of this year, a silent auction of fabulous items including an original Audrey Painting donated by Ashley Longshore Gallery valued at $6500; and a raffle of diamond hoop earrings from Friend & Company.
The event will also present their Style Setter fashion show featuring local mothers and daughters followed by a toast to Moms in honor of Mothers Day. A highlight of the luncheon is the presentation of this year's Dress for Success Client and her story. Proceeds from the 2017 luncheon will help Dress for Success meet its goal of suiting 425 + women in 2017.
"This annual luncheon is our biggest fundraiser of the year and is so important to us because it not only helps raise much needed funds but also raises more awareness about the many programs we offer to change lives," said Meaghan Ryan Bonavita, President of the New Orleans local chapter. And change is what Dress for Success offers to their clients--helping women in transition, promoting economic independence. And it all starts with a suit.
The fundraiser brings together men and women from the New Orleans community and beyond to celebrate and support the organization's mission of empowering women by providing professional attire, a network of support and career development tools to help them thrive in work and in life.
Clients are invited to attend the Professional Women's Group, a monthly program which addresses Financial Literacy, Work/Life Balance and Health and Wellness. Clients also receive enhanced services including resume writing, interview training and access to the Career Center.
"The work that Dress for Success New Orleans does not only impacts the women that we serve, but also their families and the community," said Bonavita. "When a woman gets a job and becomes financially independent, she can provide for her family and she sets a positive example for her children. Our clients come from every walk of life, every ethnicity and education level. They all have one thing in common: they want to do better. Dress for Success New Orleans provides that network
of support to help them achieve their goals. We offer a hand up, not a hand out."
Event Program:
Emcee
Juli Miller Hart, past president of DFS New Orleans
11 a.m.
Doors open for Registration, Silent Auction Bidding, Specialty Cocktails by CureCo
12:15 p.m.
Lunch, Dress for Success Client Success Story, Style Setter Fashion Show, Keynote speaker, Volunteer of the Year Presentation and Raffle
Silent Auction Highlights:
Spa services, hotel stays, restaurant gift cards, interior design services, home décor, apparel, jewelry, children's items and much more.
Ticket Information:
$85 individual; $125 Patron Sponsor; $250 Patron Pair Sponsor:
$650 Stylish Sponsor: $1300 Suits and Salads Sponsor
For Tickets/Sponsorships/Silent Auction Bidding/Raffle Purchases go to:
www.501auctions.com/dressforsuccessnola for all event information, tickets, raffle and silent auction bidding or Visit us at neworleans.dressforsuccess.org
Major Sponsors (partial list):
Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust, Carlson Family Foundation,
Capital One
Dress for Success New Orleans' boutique - Located at 6117 Magazine Street on the RTA Bus Line, Dress for Success New Orleans is accessible to the community for both client suiting and volunteers, as well as clothing donations. For more information visit www.neworleans.dressforsuccess.org or call 504.891.4337.
Bio: Simone Bruni Crouere
Simone Bruni of Demo Diva did what many Louisiana natives did post Katrina, she reinvented herself. Following her natural instincts and skills derived from a long career in hospitality and tourism, Simone Bruni turned helping her neighbors into a full-fledged business success.
Simone lost her home in the Katrina floods. She was laid off and with no construction experience, she took on the daunting task of rebuilding her home. She discovered a niche.
Demolition was the first step to coming home. Simone targeted women customers with her company name and branding. However, it was not only women who needed her help but an entire devastated community.
The Demo Diva Demolition is blazing a trail in a male dominated industry and reinvented the recipe for construction marketing, PR, social media and customer service that creates strong brand identity and raving "fans" instead of customers. Starting with an opportunity and a single hot pink dumpster on the campus of Xavier University (conveniently placed in full view of I-10 traffic!), The Demo Diva has become not just an inspirational business success story, but a local business icon.
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About Dress for Success
The mission of Dress for Success is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.
Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 100 cities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, the UK and the West Indies. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 550,000 women work towards self-sufficiency.