The goal of Wings for Success is to enhance the financial independence and stability of women in need. Wings’ free programs are designed to provide clients with work-related apparel and to help build the confidence needed to obtain and sustain employment. Through nurturing clothing appointments, employment related workshops, or personalized employment guidance from volunteer career coaches, Wings for Success provides each client with the essentials that are critical for her success.
Wings is the only program of its kind in Chester County.
In 2017 Wings provided work-appropriate apparel to over 670 clients and has served over 11,000 since its founding in 1997.
Clients contact Wings directly or may be referred through a network of over 50 local social service agencies or adult continuing education and employment certification programs. Our agency partners include homeless shelters, public assistance programs, drug rehab centers and many other for-profit and non-profit programs serving unemployed and/or underemployed women.
On a typical visit, a client receives a work-appropriate wardrobe which includes key pieces of clothing to be mixed and matched, including undergarments, shoes, handbags, accessories and seasonal outerwear (as inventory allows).
Wings outfitted 156 clients with necessary medical scrubs and nurse shoes for their employment.
A conservative estimate of the value of clothing provided to clients in 2017 is more than $600,000.
Wings consistently receives strong client self-confidence and satisfaction scores of 97% and 99% respectively.
Operating with only three part-time employees, members of the Wings’ board of directors and a pool of 120 active volunteers together contributed over 10,000 hours in all areas of organizational operation.
The percentage of Wings’ clients that come from the following counties include Chester 72%; Delaware 11%; Montgomery 8%; Philadelphia 7%; New Castle DE 2%.
The ethnic breakdown of Wings clients is Caucasian 36%; African-American 39%; Hispanic 19%; mixed race or unknown 6%.
Wings’ clients range in age between 12 years to 65+ years old.
Fifty percent (50%) of Wings clients earn less than $10K annual income. Twenty-one percent (21%) of clients earn less than 20K, and 10% of clients earn less than 30K.
Not only clients, but families are also impacted by Wings’ services. Sixty-four percent (64%) of clients are known to have children. Wings’ services indirectly benefit over 960 children through efforts to help their mothers.
Fast Facts
The goal of Wings for Success is to enhance the financial independence and stability of women in need. Wings’ free programs are designed to provide clients with work-related apparel and to help build the confidence needed to obtain and sustain employment. Through nurturing clothing appointments, employment related workshops, or personalized employment guidance from volunteer career coaches, Wings for Success provides each client with the essentials that are critical for her success.