DuMoulin Black has been a silver sponsor of Dress for Success Vancouver’s signature gala event, IMPACT 360, for almost a decade. Lucy Schilling, a law partner at DuMoulin Black, has worked with Dress for Success Vancouver for the past several years, donating her time and resources to the IMPACT Committee with the goal of making each gala better than the last.
How did you get involved with Dress for Success Vancouver?
DuMoulin Black first became a sponsor of IMPACT in 2008 and that was when I started attending the event annually as well. When I became chair of the firm’s donations committee in 2013, I met with Jennifer and Christina, the two incredible women who run Dress for Success Vancouver, and who were kind enough to give me a tour of their offices.
I saw how poorly the space was set up, so I put them in touch with my husband’s firm, Thibodeau Architecture + Design, and they donated their services to redo the layout of the space. From there I realized that I could and wanted to do much more for Dress for Success and, at Jennifer’s suggestion, I joined the IMPACT Committee.
Why does DuMoulin Black choose to support Dress for Success?
Because Dress for Success empowers women and puts into motion a process that allows women to heal, grow and get back on their feet by (re-)entering the workforce.
Giving a person things like clothing, money or food may help them out on a short term basis, but imbuing that person with the skills, confidence and other tools they need to stand on their own will serve them better in the long run and, to me, that’s what Dress for Success is about.
It’s the old proverb: Give a man—or a woman, in this case—a fish and you feed her for a day; teach a woman to fish and you feed her for a lifetime.
What’s your favourite part of working with Dress for Success Vancouver?
It would have to be meeting and working with the other committee members and volunteers. Their spirit and generosity inspire me to no end.
I get so much joy out of working with them and every dollar we raise goes directly to supporting Dress for Success Vancouver.
Do you have any advice for women who are starting as clients or Professional Women’s Group members?
Don’t be afraid to let people help you and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Many women, perhaps more so in some cultures than others, are discouraged from speaking up so as not to inconvenience others or cause any trouble.
It’s okay to ask for help and it’s no trouble at all. Everyone at Dress for Success is there because they want to help.
How about advice for people trying to get involved as volunteers or mentors?
Think about what you would like to contribute, whether it’s clothing, time, money or other resources, and there will be a way that those could be put to good use at Dress for Success.
If you take that first step, you’ll be able to find everything you need to know on their website to get involved.
If you could compress Dress for Success Vancouver’s services into one sentence or one word, what would it be, and why?
It would be, for obvious reasons: “They teach women to fish.”
What’s your favourite Dress for Success event?
There are so many! But it has to be IMPACT. It has to be.
— Check out a few of photos of Lucy at the last 3 IMPACT events and looking fabulous —
IMPACT 2014
IMPACT 2015
IMPACT 2016