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A partnership between the Chico Adult Rehabilitation Program and Chico’s clothing store helps women beneficiaries ‘dress for success.’
A simple idea to help women in recovery sparked an unexpected partnership between the Chico (California) Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Program (ARP) and a local Chico’s clothing store.
The Chico ARP houses up to 50 men and women, helping them build a foundation of sobriety through hope, restoration and job skills as they prepare to rejoin the community. The six-month program is free for participants, funded by proceeds from the local Salvation Army thrift stores.
Cheryl Tuck-Smith, a member of the Chico ARP Advisory Council—and a long-time Chico’s shopper—wanted to do something special for the women residents—something to ignite their hope for the future.
“I was looking for things that would help them dress for success,” she said. “And when you’re dressed nicely, you feel better about yourself.”
Tuck-Smith decided to buy some jackets for the women—blazers they could wear to church on Sunday. She headed to Chico’s.
Shopping for eight women, Tuck-Smith hoped to find a bargain. But at about $100 apiece, the cost exceeded her allotted budget.
As a longtime Chico’s shopper, Tuck-Smith had built a relationship with Alison Rice, the store manager. When she explained her idea, Rice suggested she try Chico’s online outlet. There, Tuck-Smith found new jackets marked down to just $25 each—and bought at least one in every size.
“When you clean out your closet, you know your items will be helping women as they rebuild their lives.”
Cheryl Tuck-Smith
After purchasing other items at the thrift store, she took the clothing to the ARP’s clothing closet, where residents can select outfits when they enter the program.
Rice wanted to do even more. She shared Tuck-Smith’s idea with some of Chico’s customers.
“I’ve had a huge response from some of the regulars,” Rice told Tuck-Smith, noting that one woman had dropped off several garments that didn’t fit anymore—some brand new.
Aiming to make the clothing donation feel even more special, the two women planned a tea party for the residents with ARP Program Director Captain Lorretta Dulay. Rice came to the March event and shared fashion tips and tricks.
“We went over how to dress for their bodies, knowing everybody has a different shape,” Rice said. “And some different fun things, like how to mix different colors and complementary colors and how to match those with skin tone. And wow, the ladies had a good time.”
Tuck-Smith said the women were stunned when they realized they could keep the clothing.
“You just made me feel so special,” one woman told Tuck-Smith. For another woman, Tuck-Smith had purchased a reversible denim jacket—one side plain denim, the other side with embroidered flowers. In the past, the woman had trouble finding clothing that fit.
“She loved it,” Tuck-Smith said. “She just beamed, knowing that someone would get something especially for her.”
She wore that jacket every day for the next week, and she told Tuck-Smith, “I don’t remember having so much fun in months.”
“It made all that work worthwhile—those two ladies’ comments,” Tuck-Smith said. “It meant as much to us as to the beneficiaries. We could see the value of what we’re doing. It just warmed my heart.”
Rice then had another idea.
“I think we could start taking donations,” she said.
Tuck-Smith made it happen, and by the end of March, Chico’s had a dedicated clothing donation barrel for the Chico ARP women in the store. Since then, the donations have been coming in. Tuck-Smith picks them up and delivers them to the ARP’s women’s clothing closet.
“Some beautiful pieces have gone into the barrel, and in all different sizes,” Rice said. “We’ve had a great response from our customer base…and they’re just so excited to collaborate and be helpful to their community sisters. It just makes everyone feel really good, and you know, we’re all working together, right?”
Dulay has noticed a boost in the women residents.
“The women that we serve in our program come to us with very little self-esteem,” she said. “We are equipping them throughout the program to grow and flourish in new ways that were not possible due to addiction and other obstacles. This partnership with Chico’s has provided the women with confidence in how they present themselves as new and transformed women of God.”
Tuck-Smith, who volunteers at the ARP frequently, has also noticed changes in the participants.
“It’s special for me because I get to see the product of what’s happening at the ARP,” she said. “I get to see these women change from people who come in looking like deer caught in the headlights, to people who start smiling and who want to carry on a conversation.”
Tuck-Smith said the idea started out simple.
“And then the impact became significant,” she said, noting the partnership continues to grow, with another collaborative fashion event already in the works for October.
“It certainly is wonderful,” Tuck-Smith said. “It’s such an easy thing, for such a good purpose. When you clean out your closet, you know your items will be helping women as they rebuild their lives.”
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