The mission of Bottomless Closet is to help disadvantaged New York City women become self-sufficient through a comprehensive program that begins with business attire and interview preparation and continues with professional development, financial management and personal enrichment. Using the model of women helping women and our network of dedicated volunteers, Bottomless Closet enhances our clients’ self-esteem and self-confidence in order for them to enter and succeed in the workforce and improve the quality of their lives.

To achieve its mission, Bottomless Closet provides the following:

• One-on-one assistance in resume preparation, interview techniques and presentation
skills to women seeking employment
• The opportunity to select interview-appropriate clothing from Bottomless
Closet’s boutique
• An educational curriculum delivered by experts in their respective fields that emphasizes
workplace skills and personal enrichment. 

Bottomless Closet was established by a group of founding volunteers in response to an August, 1996 New York Times article that spoke about the obstacles that mothers on public assistance had seeking work, including the lack of appropriate interview clothing and the lack of self-confidence to present themselves professionally in an unfamiliar interview setting. The founders were also responding to the passage of “The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act”, also known as The Welfare Reform Act, the same year which radically transformed the nation’s welfare system by imposing a time limit on federal welfare benefits further complicating women’s transition from public assistance into the workforce.

What is perhaps most remarkable about Bottomless Closet is that, from the beginning, it has relied on the support of a dedicated group of volunteers to accomplish the work and mission of the organization. Bottomless Closet believes that this is because the simplicity and strength of the concept of “women helping women” resonates so deeply with women who are introduced to the organization.

Our vision is to play an integral role in the success of our clients as they strive to transform the vision for their lives.  As such, we want to be the tangible, human connection between women and work – providing the programs they need and acting as advocates for them in achieving self-sufficiency. Our success in accomplishing this vision will be the positive impact on our clients, their families and future generations.