You know how typically when things are quiet, it's a sign of inactivity?

Unless you're talking about a toddler. Then silence means something like this is happening:

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So maybe we haven't taken Sharpies to ourselves, but in the time since our last update, LOTS of things have been happening at Lowcountry Dress for Success. 

In no particular order....

1. We closed out 2015 with over $31,000 donated. Y'all. In the words of every Southern lady, "I. Can't. Even." I'm not even exactly sure what that means, but I'm pretty sure it means something amazing happened that we can't even comprehend. THOUSANDS of dollars helping THOUSANDS of students. Right here in Bluffton and Hilton Head. Thank you is not enough, but we'll say it anyway. THANK YOU!

2. The Bluffton Homegrown Tee

Something new, folks! At the Bluffton Christmas Parade, LDFS debuted the brand new Bluffton Homegrown Tee. For a $20 donation, you could receive a Tee in a Tote bag! For each Tee in a Tote purchase, a hoodie was about to be purchased with the proceeds for a local child in need. 400 hoodies were provided from the Bluffton Homegrown Tee Shirt sales! They were such a hit that we sold out of the adult sizes that day! So....we ordered more. Adult sizes can be purchased at Gigi's Boutique and Kids sizes are at Moonlit Lullaby. We are surely biased but they're pretty awesome. Look Good, Do Good!

Thank you, Pixel Freeze, for the fantastic design!!!

3. We keep on, keepin' on! 

You know how you learn a new word and you then hear it five times in one week? Is it really that you never heard that word before or that you just weren't aware of it until now? This is how we feel about LDFS. Now that we're aware of how large the uniform needs are in our schools, it's in our face. 

And we want to keep helping. We have to keep helping. 

One of our partnering social workers put things quite bluntly lately. She wrote to us thanking us (ahem...YOU) for a big box of new uniforms that had recently arrived and said that so many of their families have to choose between paying the light bill or scrounging up change for school clothes for their children. She finished by saying how grateful those families were when they were surprised with brand new polos and pants. No questions asked. 

Come on, Lowcountry! Let's Give BIG again this Spring and knock out those wish lists for Back to School needs. 

As always, feel free to donate online or mail a check to: 

Lowcountry Dress for Success
59 Crescent Plantation
​Bluffton, SC  29910

How's that for a title? 

Remember the wish lists that the social workers gave us in the Spring? The ones that said here's what and how many school uniform items I will need to start the year off well? Well....You guys are awesome and gave so generously over the past year that we were able to provide the large majority of that list! Boom.

But...we like to finish things in the Lowcountry. (Except for that flyover road onto HHI. I mean, GEEZ!)

$6,000 will get us to 100%. 

It will actually get us 72 polos, 91 pairs of shorts, 64 pairs of pants, 146 packs of underwear, 89 belts and cash donations for special order uniforms. 

I've seen these social workers' offices. They are not big enough to store boxes and boxes of uniforms. I can promise you that they're not planning on these uniforms staying there for long. The needs are real, and they're all around us. Can you help clothe a student in a new uniform this school year?  

Give today online!

Thank you in advance! You all amaze me!

It's that time of year again! School bus and pencil images will flood retail stores warning us that SUMMER IS ALMOST OVER! AHHHHH!!!!

For a lot of us, Back to School shopping is fun! New clothes, new notebooks, new shoes. But for many, it's a time of stress when there aren't enough funds to provide what their child needs for the upcoming school year. 

This Spring, Dress for Success asked our local elementary school social workers what uniform items they would need to get the 2015-2016 year off to a great start. We told them to dream BIG. Because you guys give BIG. From the wish lists, we ended up with requests for:

418 polos
388 pairs of shorts
422 pairs of pants
146 packs of undies
89 belts

How cool would it be to for our awesome social workers to have these items in hand, ready to give to a child on the first day of school? 

It's time to spread the word! It's time to GIVE, y'all! 

Come on Bluffton and HHI. Let's take care of our own.

Click on Donate Now to Give.

It has been a while since our last update. And with good reason. YOU have been keeping us busy by donating. Which means we've been ordering and delivering uniforms!

As you know, the Fall drive was crazy successful. Over $16,000 was raised to help purchase pants, polos, underwear and belts for local elementary school children. Pictured here are just a few of the many (many, many, many) boxes that arrived. They were sorted into the schools that ordered and delivered to some very grateful social workers, who then delivered them to students!

Team DFS cannot say it enough, but we'll say it again anyway: 
THANK YOU! 

Your generosity quickly translates to providing for a tangible need right here in Bluffton and on HHI. And you've done it over and over and over again! 

In December, DFS took the advice of our partnering social workers and focused the Winter Drive on outerwear.  We took part in the world famous Bluffton Christmas parade as a Kick Off for the HOHOHOodie Campaign. A HUGE THANKS to Hilton Head Christian Academy for loaning a school bus to us to cruise through the parade. Thank you, also, to Kinghorn Insurance for sponsoring us! As parade first timers, we were all excited to see how interested the community was in the organization! One gentleman even boarded the bus to give us a donation! We will surely see you next year (with more candy! Live and learn:)

The Hoodie Drive ended mid December, and to no surprise at all...our community GAVE BIG. 

400

Funds were donated to purchase 400 hoodies, y'all. I'm not kidding. Just ask the FedEx guy. He (and his back) can tell you all about it. 

400 hoodies means 400 children who are kept warm at school. At least 400 parents who don't have to send their child to the bus stop without long sleeves. 400 children who can focus more on their schoolwork than what they have (or don't have) to wear that day. 

And just for old time's sake: THANK YOU!!!

Check in for updates on What's Next! 
(Hint: BIG NEWS is coming soon about an awesome opportunity in March!)

Can I just say that y'all ROCK!?!?!

$16,549

Foreal. 

In three weeks, y'all gave. And gave. And GAVE! 

The funds have SO FAR been used to purchase over 250 polos, 350 pairs of pants, 240 belts and 130 packs of underwear. AND checks were cut from the general donation fund and given to the social workers for special uniform needs. 

When several of the DFS team members met with area social workers to deliver the fundraising results, they were overwhelmed at our community's generosity. When y'all hear of a need, you are moved to take care of it! The social workers were tearful thinking of how many children your donations will directly impact. To us, it's so sad to think that there are children in dire need in our area. But these ladies KNOW these children personally. They know their names, their families, their situations. And for now they can easily help them with uniforms without turning them away. 

THANK YOU is not enough. But...THANK YOU!!!!! The folks of Bluffton and Hilton Head look out for their people. And that is AWESOME.

So, now what? 

HOODIES! 

Our schools have uniform code for any outerwear worn in the classroom. For families with financial constraints or who rely on hand me downs, it can be difficult to have the right color or sizes on hand. Hoodies are where the social workers pointed us, so that's where we shall go!

$15 can help keep a child warm in our area this Winter. 

Let's do this! Donate for a hoodie. Tell a friend. It's the season of giving. Let's GIVE BIG!

We are new to the non profit scene, folks. Can you help us spread the word? We thought about challenging everyone to dump a bucket of ice water on their heads to give a shout out to Dress for Success, but we heard someone had already done that. 

So we'll stick with the old fashioned way. Word of mouth. Tell a friend. Tell a neighbor. Tell your dog if charity is their thing. Every polo purchased, every dollar spent directly affects the well being of one of our very own community members. And did I mention these particular little members of our society happen to be our future? 

Be sure to Like us on Facebook and share the Dress for Success LOVE!