Philadelphia Non-Profit That Suits Up Job-Seeking Women Robbed
By Cherri Gregg
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The Career Wardrobe outfits women with the skills and clothing to land a job. But just two days after Christmas, a couple of thieves raided the non-profit's career boutique for $2,000 in designer clothing and handbags.
Career Wardrobe has run its Wardrobe Boutique at 19th and Spring Garden Streets for four years. The group gets donations from women and resells them at their Boutique. The profit goes to help the women who want to get back on their feet.
Although the boutique has had its share of shoplifters, executive director Sheri Cole says what happened on Friday evening around 6 p.m was a first:
"We had some Gucci bags, some Louis Vuitton Bags, some really nice burberry coats," says Cole, "two women came in and they were trying on the Burberry coats and comparing the Gucci bag to the Louis Vuitton bag. Then one of them who had a couple of the bags in her hand grabbed all of the bags she could and ran for the door. The woman she was with went behind the counter and grabbed all of the merchandise she could get."
Cole says the thieves left in a getaway car with a total take of $2,000.
"That doesn't seem like a lot," she says, "but we're a small non-profit and that could outfit and educate 25 women."
Police are looking for suspects. In the meantime, Cole is hoping the public will clean out their closets to donate items to help fill the void.
