The Brightside: A Suit That Represents A New Beginning

WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. — The Wicomico Partnership for Families and Children is doing its part for National Recovery Month with its Dress for Success event.

WMDT had the opportunity to see how the group is supporting people looking to jump-start their careers in the newest edition of the Brightside, sponsored by Choptank Electric Cooperative.

For people in recovery working to re-enter the workforce, finding a job is an important step toward rebuilding their lives. A suit may seem like a small thing, but for someone in recovery, it can represent a new beginning.

Stephanie King, director of the Wicomico Partnership for Families and Children, said appropriate interview attire can be a major barrier for people trying to re-enter the workforce.

“When people go on interviews and they’re trying to reenter the workforce, a lot of times one of the biggest barriers is that they don’t have appropriate interview attire,” King said. “So we do this to try to reduce that barrier.”

Sometimes, a second chance starts with a first impression. Walking into an interview can be intimidating, but feeling confident can make a difference.

De’Andre Briddell, residential operations manager for Homes4Hope, said looking good can help people feel good and find a sense of purpose.

“Recovery is an inside job, but when you look good on the outside, it also makes you feel good and gives you that purpose,” Briddell said. “Sometimes when I leave the house and I got that chill, chill bumps because I know I look good, it makes me want to have a good day, you know?”

Whether someone needs a suit and tie, a dress, accessories, shoes or even socks, behind every outfit is someone trying to move forward.

“We had people leave with a couple of bagful’s earlier, and we were really grateful to see that,” King said.

What begins as a donation from one member of the community can ultimately become part of someone else’s new chapter.

“They donated a lot of really great stuff. We were able to put those resources back into the community,” King said. “We contacted a lot of the recovery houses, and they were bringing their people by, like, carloads.”

For people in recovery who need additional resources, Homes4Hope and the Recovery Resource Center are among the organizations helping people break down barriers.

Briddell said Homes4Hope helped put his life back together, and now he is helping others do the same.

“That full circle moment is perfect because it’s available to us,” Briddell said. “It was just I didn’t know that I could change. I didn’t know that I could do good. I didn’t know that I could be successful. I just thought that nobody cared, you know? But actually, people did care. All I had to do was make a choice to do better.”