WINTER PARK , Fla. — The Winter Park community is welcoming back a beloved local non-profit.
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Dress for Success of Greater Orlando lost their facility nearly two years ago when Hurricane Ian swept through Central Florida. The organization is a lifeline for thousands of women who are domestic violence and human trafficking survivors. For every client, it’s an opportunity to start over, and Vilma Milendez is no different. “I’m here to get some outfit so I can go back into the workforce and get a job. It’s like a new beginning for me,” said Milendez.
She’s just one of the thousands of women who reach out to Dress for Success Greater Orlando for help each year. From job training to the outfits themselves, the plan to make sure each domestic violence or human trafficking survivor can get back on their feet. “Sometimes, I doubted myself. Starting all over again is hard, you just you just don’t feel good about yourself,” said Milendez. “I’m living through some tough times, but I know we will succeed.”
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In 2022, when Ian hit Florida, their facility was destroyed, and all the clothes were lost. “We lost everything. There was mold and the entire location,” said Joanne Febus, Exec. Director at Dress for Success Greater Orlando. “We were only allowed to come in with face masks and protective gear. To say it was a challenge is an understatement.”
In 2023, the organization was able to offer support to more than 3,000 survivors. For Kimmy Landsverk, the work is personal. “I was married to a very wealthy man. Because of a very bad divorce, he sold me into human trafficking. I was taken out of the country,” said Landsverk. “I was lost for 30 years; I was a commodity sold to private owners.”
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Kimmy is not alone. According to the state’s Children and Family Department, there were more than 2,000 reports of human trafficking in Florida in 2023 alone. For survivors like her, getting back on their feet after traumatic experiences can be a challenge. “It just beat up my self-confidence. Every time I tried to get ahead, I kept getting knocked down,” said Landsverk. Just like many survivors, she reached out to Dress for Success for help and support. “They see me. They hear me. They see things about me that I don’t see.”
At Dress for Success Greater Orlando, Central Floridians have access to countless resources to help them rebuild their lives and thrive on their own. “It is not just about to close. But workforce development is super important for us. We offer them resume writing, career coaching, how to create a LinkedIn profile, how to use chat GPT,” said Febus. “We actually give them something that sometimes they can’t even get at home, and it’s confidence.”
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Kimmy Landsverk is now back at Dress for Success Greater Orlando, but not as a client. She now works at the organization and says she hopes to help as many women as possible. “I know that what I deposit into my clients changes their lives. For me, that’s victory over my captors,” she said.
Get involved with Dress for Success Greater Orlando
- Winter Park Location – 901 West Webster Ave., Gate 9 – Winter Park
- Ocoee Location - 9401 W Colonial Dr, Ocoee
- Instagram – @dressforsuccessgreaterorlando - https://www.instagram.com/DressForSuccessGreaterOrlando
- Volunteer with Dress for Success Greater Orlando - https://greaterorlando.dressforsuccess.org/get-involved/
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