David MacMillan couldn’t have imagined when he was laid off and homeless in 2008 that he’d be a fashion model two years later.
“But he rocked that runway,” says Denise Cunningham-Doggett, 47, who teaches life-skills at the former New Life Community Foundation (now Family Promise of Greater Cleveland).
MacMillan, his wife and their five kids lost their home in 2008. Around that time, two volunteers birthed the idea of a fashion show to raise money for the shelter. Both Cunningham-Doggett and MacMillan were skeptical.
“Usually when a volunteer says they want to do something, you don’t know if you’re going to be left with all the work,” says Cunningham-Doggett.
“And when folks say ‘fashion show,’ you expect it to be mediocre,” says 27-year-old MacMillan. “But when I got there and saw the venue, I was like, Wow, this is top-notch stuff. It was so unexpected.”
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COMPANY: Dots
LOCATION: Glenwillow, with 411-store fleet in 28 states
EMPLOYEES: 3,900
What They Do: Dots is a fashion apparel specialty store.
Why It’s a Great Place to Work: Dots creates a “fashion party” culture, where work can be loud, fun and creative.
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The project gained momentum when the volunteers approached the nearby Dots store. It led them to the corporate office, which invited 12 women to the store for a Saturday morning fitting.
And after the event, Dots surprised them by letting them keep the outfits they modeled.
Dots’ 26-year-old marketing coordinator Miranda Guth was employed only five months when she got to break the news to all the women on stage.
“Some of the women screamed; one came up and hugged me,” she says. “I went home with probably the biggest smile I’ve ever worn.”
And Dots’ $1,500 gift was just a small part of its efforts last year, as the fast-fashion chain donated more than 100 hours of volunteer time to the Cleveland Food Bank; gave 300 coats, hats, gloves and scarves to Coats for Kids; and presented a $90,000 check to the Susan G. Komen Foundation on top of the $50,000 it bestowed the year before.
That’s because Dots CEO Rick Bunka encourages social consciousness year-round.
Three years ago, he began allowing employees to volunteer at the food bank during working hours because it was difficult for them to do so outside of work and family obligations.
He also raffles off the freebies he receives from vendors. Last December’s raffle and holiday jewelry sale raised $2,200, which was used to buy gift cards for Dots associates who needed assistance buying presents and food for their families.
Dots’ social commitment runs deeper still, says Cunningham-Doggett, as the fashion retailer hires people with imperfect backgrounds like her residents.
“About 85 percent are single women,” she says. “Everyone here has children because we serve families. But they might also come in with maybe a criminal background, maybe as a victim of domestic violence.
“They’ve got an erratic or no or little work history,” she continues. “They very likely don’t have their GED.”
So she was excited that Dots wanted to participate in their job readiness program. “They give people a second chance,” she says.
Dots will sponsor this October’s fashion show, too.
“The event was such a great experience for all involved last year,” says Gluth. “We wanted to help again and see if maybe we can raise even more money than we did last year.”
This year’s participants will have all completed the shelter’s three-stage job readiness program. The 16-week program helps residents write resumes, partake in an unpaid internship and search for a job.
“When they’re here, their time is very structured, and we don’t want to take any time away from that,” says Cunningham-Doggett. “The fashion show is a goal for them.”
Like MacMillan, who says the program gave him posture and confidence. Now he returns to the shelter from time to time to talk to the residents.
“I was ashamed because, as a man, I felt like I let my family down,” he says. “But the difference between a failure and a person who fails is a failure falls and lays there; the person who fails gets back up.”