HONESDALE, Pa. — It's not every day you can find a closet filled with women's clothes in a lawyer's office. Oressa Campbell's law office on Church Street in Honesdale had an extra room. So she and some of the other female members of the Wayne County Bar Association took it upon themselves to help some of their female clients "raise the bar" on their wardrobe by emptying their own closets at home.
"We oftentimes represent individuals who have been displaced from their home due to protection orders or divorce or custody or emergency matters. Why, instead of donating our work clothes to the Salvation Army, why doesn't our bar association open a clothing closet and have it available here for anybody who's in need?" Campbell said.
Members of the bar association say that anyone can come in and take advantage of the clothing closet because they know that lots of women are reentering the workforce and may need a few pieces to start their new job.
"Come pick out an outfit for a job interview, make that great first impression, or just pick out some clothing for business needs. Yeah, but definitely we've seen a number of people who have been off for a significant period of time who are now looking for that career option, and they need this kind of help."
The bar association is accepting donations of new or gently used women's business clothing but could really use some specific items.
"Gently used shoes are a big one. Shoes can be very expensive, so work-appropriate shoes, even handbags," Campbell said. "I think handbags are something that are a lot of times overlooked. If you happen to have a gently used briefcase that you could donate and somebody could utilize, that would be amazing."
If you have items to donate or would like to utilize the clothing closet, you can visit the law office on Church Street in Honesdale, Monday through Friday, during normal business hours.
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