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The New Career Closet At Sulzbacher Village Will Make Dressing For Success A Snap

Credit Cyd Hoskinson / WJCT
/
WJCT
Women wait to see what's in the new "Career Closet" at Sulzbacher Village.

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is partnering with the Sulzbacher Center to help homeless women dress for success.

JTA employees opened a “Career Closet” at Sulzbacher Village on the Northside Thursday where the women who live there can get professional attire for things like job interviews.

JTA board member Ari Jolly says having the right clothes to wear is a confidence-builder.

“It allows you to focus on talking about your skill-sets and having the appropriate rapport with the potential employer—you don’t have to worry about your clothes.”  

Credit Cyd Hoskinson / WJCT
/
WJCT
Jennifer Bloom's visit to the Career Closet netted her a couple of tops and slacks, a purse and a pair of red suede shoes. She says she's a little nervous about walking in them since she hasn't worn high heels in awhile.

Sulzbacher Village resident Jennifer Bloom agrees.  Bloom is a Navy veteran with grown kids. She says her future was looking bright—and then she became homeless.

“My car got stolen and I lost my job and I had to drop out of nursing school and I’m 58-years-old. So I was very close to having financial security and just kind of got the rug pulled out from under me and so this is very helpful.”

Bloom is currently taking a culinary class offered by FSCJ at Sulzbacher Village.

The 70 unit apartment complex for poor and homeless women and families opened this past May.

Contact reporter Cyd Hoskinson at choskinson@wjct.org, 904-358-6351 and on Twitter @cydwjctnews.

Cyd Hoskinson began working at WJCT on Valentine’s Day 2011.