Clothing drive dressed for success

The sun was shining Sunday afternoon as La Cañada Presbyterian Church put on a large-scale donation drive for Clothes the Deal, a non-profit that gathers business attire for men and women seeking work opportunities.

By 11 a.m. Sunday, a full hour before the event got underway, Clothes the Deal already had a van packed full of donated professional clothing. As more people donated throughout the day, the organization’s van was filled again and extra donations were moved to an office within the church.

“We’ve been looking for ways to give back, and the job market is so difficult. We chose to partner with Clothes the Deal because they are an organization that can give the clothing to more than 85 different agencies, with a broader base to help people,” said church member Cathy Taylor.

Some of the area’s highest profile citizens were in attendance to support the event. La Cañada Presbyterian parishioner and ABC 7 News meteorologist Dallas Raines donated three suits and said, “Christ has blessed me and my family so abundantly that this is the least I can do.”

City Councilman Mike Davitt, Crescenta-Cañada Family YMCA President Tyler Wright and Mayor David Spence also donated suits.

Brad Brusavich, executive director of Clothes the Deal, explained that the charity keeps track of who gets each suit and where the recipient finds work in a program called Follow the Suit. Clothing donated by Raines, Wright, Davitt and Spence will be tracked as well.

Clothing donor Diane Seidel, who dropped off two of her husband’s suits and about a dozen of his ties, echoed much of what had been said throughout the day.

“I think it’s an excellent program,” Seidel said. “My husband’s had two suits for the last 10 years, and they’re barely used, so I thought I’d give them to people who need all the help they can get.”