Sororities participate in clothing drive

Boxes at IU Panhellenic Association sorority houses were piled high with gently-used women’s business clothing.

PHA participated in their first clothing drive for My Sister’s Closet, a 15-year-old nonprofit organization that provides underprivileged women seeking jobs with free business attire. The event lasted from Oct. 21 though Dec. 2.

In total, PHA sororities donated 413 articles of clothing including blouses, pants, shoes and a variety of accessories.

Senior MaryClaire Cieply, My Sister’s Closet public relations coordinator and Delta Gamma sorority’s director of public relations, organized the event.

She counted and sorted every piece of clothing and accessory that was donated.

“It basically covered the entire DG basement,” Cieply said.

Cieply said she was happy the donated items were current and trendy.

“We got a ton of clothes that are still in style,” she said. “We had some top brands like Ralph Lauren and Anne Taylor.”

Blazers and dress pants were the most donated items, Cieply said.

“There are lots of different suit combinations available that underprivileged women wouldn’t normally get the chance to wear,” she said. “It will help them look more professional when they go to their interviews.”

Sandy Keller, the creator of My Sister’s Closet, said this drive greatly improved their inventory.

“It was jaw-dropping,” Keller said. “We had a mountain of clothes. It took us three days to go through and sort. It was such a wonderful feeling to have the responsibility of that on our plate.”

Keller said these clothes will help multiple women in need throughout their job interviewing process.

“You have to be able to put your best foot forward visually,” Keller said. “We judge people in a very short amount of time. If they see these women not looking like the level of the other women in their office, they’ll immediately forget about them.”

A $200 reward was given to the sorority with the most clothing points. Points were determined by a system based on clothing’s worth. Upscale clothing like blazers are worth five points, while casual shirts and jewelry are one point.

The winning sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, had 665 points. They bestowed their winnings to their philanthropy, the American Diabetes Association.

The second and third place winners were Delta Gamma and Kappa Alpha Theta, with 450 and 104 points, respectively.

The clothing and accessories at My Sister’s Closet are also available for purchase by the public. The business receives its primary support from its income, Keller said.
Cieply said she hopes PHA will continue the clothing drive for My Sister’s Closet next year.

“This is a really nice way to get a lot of donations,” she said. “We always look to get clothing from the younger crowd, and we always have clothes we don’t need lying around, so it gives people a great opportunity to donate what they don’t need.”

In addition to the future partnership with PHA, Keller said she hopes My Sister’s Closet will do another clothing drive before students leave after spring semester.
Keller said the donations, no matter how small, will continue to help underprivileged women seeking employment.

“Oftentimes, women don’t make it to the actual interview because of how they’re perceived by the office assistant, usually by their appearance,” Keller said. “If they get past the gatekeeper, they will get to a place where they can talk about their own story and what they can contribute to an organization.”

Follow reporter Tori Lawhorn on Twitter @ToriLawhorn.