A Belle Glade man isn’t holding back his emotions after a new outfit restored his confidence.
William Freeman just accepted a supervisor position after recovering from a year of hardship.
He credits his recent success to a nonprofit in Palm Beach County after receiving two new business suits ahead of his interview.
Freeman calls the gift a valuable lesson about helping those less fortunate during challenging times.
“You can give a child $5 to feed him for that day, but if you put him in a suit and dress him up then he can feed himself for a life time,” said William Freeman.
‘Suits for Seniors’ based in Riviera Beach and was established in 2016 as a high school mentorship program.
“We have to make sure kids and adults are educated and most importantly, that they look the part to be successful,” said Jervonte Edmonds, founder of Suits for Seniors.
In addition to providing students with a brand-new tailored suit, the 8-week program covers financial literacy, leadership, entrepreneurship college preparation, and job readiness training.
The organization expanded its outreach to include job seekers who may need additional support during the pandemic.
“We have hundreds of suits,” said Edmonds. “High-end, high-quality suits because we know in the first three seconds people make a snap judgement about you. We want to make sure you have a tailored suit on.”
Over the last four years, more than 1,000 students have graduated successfully through the program.
The nonprofit has a partnership with nearly two dozen across Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties.
‘Suits for Seniors’ also has a career center in Riviera Beach and an outreach program in the Jacksonville area.
For more information about the organization, click here.