PHOENIX – August 5, 2025 – Dress for Success Phoenix has received a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to significantly expand its regional workforce development initiative focused on formerly incarcerated women.

The Federal Pathway Home 6 Grant was awarded to the organization’s HOPE for Success program and its newest initiative, The HOPE Center, a satellite studio located inside Perryville Women’s Prison.

The grant will enable HOPE for Success to provide more women with personalized career development, financial wellness education, occupational apparel, and yearlong case management that begins before release and continues during reentry. The goal is to close the gap between prison release and skills-based employment, improving reentry outcomes and reducing recidivism. The need for such dedicated services is paramount, with more than 3,000 women incarcerated at Perryville.

This also strengthens Dress for Success Phoenix’s position as a regional workforce development leader whose partnerships enable it to have broad impact.

“It is a meaningful investment in our mission to help women rebuild their lives and reenter their communities with confidence,” said Tamala McBath, CEO of Dress for Success Phoenix. “Our programs provide a pathway to self-sufficiency through education, employment, and wraparound support that reduces recidivism and creates long-term change.”

Data from the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) shows that approximately one-fifth of women released from prison return within three years. Women leaving incarceration face particularly steep challenges, including unemployment, housing insecurity, and increased risk of sex trafficking. About 60 percent of women exiting Perryville are mothers of minors, and many return to communities in Maricopa County where poverty rates reach as high as 33 percent.

“The work planned at the HOPE Center will have a tremendous impact on the women in our custody and care, providing them with greater opportunities and resources to confidently reenter and thrive in Arizona’s communities. By supporting individual success and transformative change, innovative partnerships like this strengthen public safety across Arizona,” said Director Ryan Thornell, Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.

This initiative helps meet Arizona’s urgent workforce needs by preparing untapped talent for in-demand jobs. As employers across Arizona face hiring challenges, Dress for Success Phoenix plays a key role in creating pathways to employment and economic independence.

“We are proud to be a trusted workforce development partner, having already supported more than 1,000 women through HOPE for Success and thousands more through our career programs,” said McBath.

The HOPE for Success program, which stands for Helping Open Pathways to Employment, addresses these systemic challenges by providing targeted pre- and post-release services. Inside Perryville, participants will engage in more than 80 hours of self-paced job readiness and career development curriculum through a custom digital application created by R3 Score Technologies.

Dress for Success Phoenix will utilize R3 Score Technologies to deliver career training, workforce credentials, and digital readiness content directly through tablets inside Perryville. The goal is to ensure that incarcerated women have access to market-driven tools supporting long-term employment. Through this partnership, Dress for Success Phoenix and R3 Score are setting a national standard for what it means to prepare women to thrive post-release. “We are honored to be selected as the secure technology infrastructure to power this groundbreaking in-prison initiative,” said Laurin Leonard, President & CEO of R3 Score Technologies.

The women will access the content via tablets provided by Aventiv, a diversified technology company that provides communications, tablet‑based education, reentry tools, and payment services for correctional facilities and incarcerated individuals across the U.S. Its reputation for innovative technology solutions will enhance digital outreach and service delivery for women preparing to reenter the workforce. “Our partnership with Dress for Success Phoenix on the HOPE for Success program is a testament to our shared commitment to improving reentry outcomes and expanding access to opportunity,” said Alisha Shoates James, Senior Vice President, Aventiv Technologies.

The women will also receive personalized support from Dress for Success Phoenix case managers and career coaches. Upon release, women are outfitted with both personal and professional clothing, wrap-around services, and continue working with their assigned case manager for 12 months to access job placement services, housing resources, childcare support, and higher education or certification programs.

Post-release, the organization also extends services to rural and underserved communities throughout Arizona through its Mobile Career Center and additional satellite studios, addressing similar reentry needs in counties like Pinal, Yuma, and Coconino, where access to consistent support is even more limited.

The HOPE Center is the first permanent, in-prison location operated by Dress for Success Phoenix. It provides a safe and empowering space where women can begin planning for life beyond incarceration. Workforce development and reentry programs like HOPE for Success are vital for breaking cycles of poverty, incarceration, and trauma that affect not only individuals but entire families and communities. Children of incarcerated mothers face an increased risk of homelessness, lower educational achievement, and entry into the criminal justice system themselves. Investing in programs that stabilize families and promote economic independence has far-reaching impacts.

To learn more about HOPE for Success or Dress for Success Phoenix, visit dfsphoenix.org.

This story begins in 2022, with an apparel donation from PXG. Dress for Success Phoenix was familiar through an existing relationship with The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. The organization became a natural fit for PXG’s ongoing support of the community through an in-kind donation of high-quality, fashion forward shirts, skirts, pants, jackets, and more. Since receiving this donation, Dress for Success Phoenix has outfitted women, men, and youth in PXG’s finest through partnerships with local Title I schools, community colleges, their own workforce development programs, and beyond with efficiency and care that is unparalleled. Hooray!

Fast forward to Fall 2023, when Dress for Success Phoenix got together with First Tee–Phoenix to create an extra special opportunity for young golfers and their families to get brand new, top-of-the-line golf apparel and accessories completely free of charge. In December 2023, marking the 20^th Anniversary of First Tee–Phoenix, nearly 300 youth and their families attended a celebratory open house where they participated in learning the history of First Tee–Phoenix, putting competitions, listening to live music, face painting, and most exciting of all – a visit to the Dress for Success pop-up store where everyone (including parents and family members) could “shop” for PXG Apparel items. Some youth commented that this was the first piece of brand-new golf clothing they’d ever owned, having gotten their existing golf clothes from thrift stores or as hand me downs. Parents were tearful as they had to be reminded more than once (because they were in disbelief) that they could have any item(s) of their choosing, at no cost. Young golfers and parents left the celebration that day with armfuls of PXG clothing to sport on the course as First Tee–Phoenix golfers or while proudly supporting their young golfer, in the case of the parents.

Although Dress for Success Phoenix, First Tee–Phoenix, and PXG may seem to have very different goals at first glance, this partnership highlighted one very important value that we all uphold across our work which is – everyone deserves to feel that they belong. Whether it is at work, home, or on the golf course, belonging is the key to confidence. It is our sincerest hope that with the help of Dress for Success Phoenix, First Tee–Phoenix, and PXG, young people and their parents feel empowered to step on the course and know that they belong.

This article originally appears at https://reneeparsons.com/philanthropy-focus-pxg-apparel-first-tee-dress-for-success/.

Millions of Americans across the country are outside of the stabilizing financial mainstream, without a safe banking account to manage their money and build towards a stronger financial future. Across the country, Bank On coalitions work to connect residents to safe, affordable accounts – and Dress for Success Phoenix just received a new grant to supercharge these efforts. Dress for Success Phoenix and national nonprofit the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) announced Jessica Howell as Bank On Arizona’s Fellow for a two-year term to advance banking access efforts at scale, including through identifying opportunities to connect access to safe accounts to programs and payments. Bank On Arizona is one of six Bank On coalitions across the country whose work will be supported by this cohort of the Bank On Fellows initiative. The goal of the national Bank On movement is to ensure that everyone has access to safe and affordable financial products and services.

Now in its fourth Wells Fargo Foundation-supported cohort, the national Bank On Fellowship Program provides funding to six Bank On coalitions to support a full-time staff position for two years — a “Fellow” — to lead coalition activities. Launched in 2017 with generous support from the Wells Fargo Foundation, it is the first national initiative focused on building experienced banking access leaders across the country, equipping them with the training, tools, and resources to make significant advancements in local banking access efforts while at the same time generating best practices for other coalitions. Dedicated local leadership is critical to moving beyond general education and literacy efforts and instead into identifying systemic integration points – from unemployment insurance to tax refunds to other program and payment streams – to connect unbanked people to safe, affordable accounts at scale.

The Puma Empowerment Center celebrated a soft launch in May and is now welcoming its official opening with the return of students for the fall semester. The free-of-charge resources provided by the center help address day-to-day challenges that can become a deterrent from achieving higher education and success beyond graduation. The facility helps men and women throughout the community by providing food security, as well as job procurement skills and services.

“By partnering with Dress for Success Phoenix, we are providing a service that will truly empower everyone who enters to leave knowing they are cared for, supported, and being set up for success,” said PVCC’s Interim President Jana Schwarz.  

Dress for Success Phoenix is a non-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help them thrive in work and in life. Since opening its doors in downtown Phoenix in 2009, the organization has assisted more than 22,000 women. The new satellite facility on the PVCC campus enables the organization to reach more women and men in the community. At the Puma Empowerment Center, Dress for Success Phoenix provides career development services, such as job search preparedness, interview coaching, and professional skills training courses, as well as access to suiting and attire for interviews and employment.

“Higher education is at the cornerstone of career development and economic independence. The partnership with Paradise Valley Community College enables Dress for Success Phoenix to further expand our reach, bringing resources where they’re needed in the community,” said Tamala McBath, CEO for Dress for Success Phoenix.

PVCC’s Puma Pantry was created in 2017 and helps students overcome food insecurity, allowing them to focus on educational goals. Students have access to non-perishable food items and basic needs such as toiletries, hygiene products and cleaning supplies. In spring 2022, PVCC created the Little Free Pantry around campus, where students could grab a quick snack more discreetly. 

The Puma Empowerment Center is open Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For questions or an appointment, call 602-787-6846.

 In addition to monetary donations, clothing donations are needed and accepted the third Thursday of each month from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sought after items include women’s blouses, dress pants, skirts, blazers, closed-toe pumps and flats, handbags, and jewelry, as well as men’s dress shirts, pants, blazers, neckties, and shoes. To ensure students look and feel their best, fashionable, current clothing in great condition is appreciated. The center also takes donations of unused makeup, shampoo, conditioner, and deodorant.

 The Puma Empowerment Center is located on the Paradise Valley Community College campus at 18401 N 32nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85032.  For more information, visit www.paradisevalley.edu/puma-empowerment-center.

The high-quality PXG Apparel items will be an invaluable addition to Dress for Success Phoenix’s clothing boutique, which provides free-of-charge professional attire to women in need. The clothing is provided so that women can put their best foot forward during the interview process, as well as throughout their entire employment. The boutique is just one of the many outcome-driven programs that ensure women are getting hired, being promoted, receiving well-earned raises, networking with other professionals, and gaining control of their finances. 

“As PXG continues its support of the community, we’ve identified an opportunity to help women in need by putting PXG Apparel to work! Dress for Success Phoenix helps further the lives and careers of women seeking to overcome personal and professional challenges to achieve economic independence. This is a mission we believe in and are delighted for PXG Apparel to be part of through an in-kind donation of our high-quality, fashion-forward shirts, skirts, pants, jackets, and more,” said Renee Parsons, president and executive creative director for PXG Apparel. 

Dress for Success Phoenix greatly appreciates the support from PXG and The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “We aim to fill our boutique with high quality, fashion forward attire, and the donation of PXG Apparel will be a wonderful addition, allowing our clients to look and feel their best,” said Pat Torres, boutique manager for Dress for Success Phoenix. 

###

About Dress for Success Phoenix

Dress for Success Phoenix has assisted over 20,000 women since opening its doors in 2009. The mission empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Any woman referred by a community partner is eligible for free-of-charge programs and services. Dress for Success Phoenix is an independent 501c3 non-profit organization and an affiliate of Dress for Success Worldwide. Funds are raised locally and have a direct impact in our local communities. To learn more visit www.dfsphoenix.org 

About Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG)

Based in Scottsdale Arizona, Parsons Xtreme Golf is a global golf equipment, apparel and accessories company founded by Bob Parsons. PXG was born out of Parsons’ desire to make the world’s finest golf clubs. www.pxg.com 

About The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation

The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation offers support to nonprofit organizations successfully working to empower, educate, nurture, and nourish people during what is often the darkest time of their lives. Founded in 2012 by philanthropists and business leaders Bob and Renee Parsons to provide hope and life-changing assistance to the country’s most vulnerable populations, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation offers critical funding at critical times to those in need. The Foundation’s giving is driven by the core belief that all people – regardless of race, religion, roots, economic status, sexual orientation or gender identity – deserve access to quality healthcare, education and a safe place to call home. Follow @WeDealInHope on social media or visit TBRPF.org to learn more about partner organizations and the important work being done in the community.