Life Learning Center and Dress for Success Cincinnati announce their partnership which brings the Dress for Success Cincinnati StyleHER Program to the Life Learning Center facility. This program will provide services to under-employed and unemployed women in Northern Kentucky.
The mission of Dress for Success (DFSC) is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and development tools to help them thrive in work and life. DFSC believes each woman deserves the chance to dream and reach her potential because when she does, her impact on her family and the community will be profound.
According to recent studies, adults in poverty are three times more likely to be arrested than those who are not in poverty.
In fact, around 72% of women are in poverty prior to being arrested. The City of Covington, where Life Learning Center is located, has a significantly higher than average percentage of residents below the poverty line (one out of every four) compared to the rest of the Commonwealth of Kentucky which has a poverty rate of 18.3%. Furthermore, a study of the formerly incarcerated found that employment was the single most important factor in decreasing recidivism, or a person’s likelihood to return to jail. Life Learning Center, is directly reducing the recidivism rates in Northern Kentucky; in 2020, the recidivism rate of LLC graduates was reduced to 38%, while graduates also enrolled in the Jail Substance Abuse Program (JSAP) through the Kenton County Detention Center experienced a recidivism rate of 28%. This is a stark contrast from the national average of 83%.
To achieve these outcomes, LLC delivers a holistic, integrated continuum of education and care to help our “at-risk” citizens step up to their highest potential. We are building a caring and serving community by helping people learn, secure and sustain a better way of living through gainful employment. The people we serve become healthier, happier, and more productive enabling individuals to achieve personal success and secure a living-wage career.
Life Learning Center (LLC) was founded with the belief that every individual should have the opportunity to live up to their highest potential, regardless of where they are in their life journey. LLC delivers Foundations for a Better LifeTM which is a 12-week program focusing on five domains of life: Physical, Financial, Spiritual, Emotional and Relational. In order to complete the program and be recognized as a graduate, Candidates must complete the 12-week education program, maintain drug-free status and obtain employment. Life Learning Center’s holistic approach directly impacts Candidate outcomes and has proven a successful model for nearly 3,000 Candidates since 2006. On average, 43% of the Candidates served at LLC are female; the SyleHER program is a unique addition to the center’s already robust continuum of care offerings.
Through Dress for Success’s StyleHER program, women receive a personal styling experience that inspires confidence and provides a complete interview outfit, or ten mix-and-match items to start out their new employment, free of charge. This satellite DFSC StyleHER Program will not only be open to women participating in Life Learning Center’s programs but will also be available to all women in the Northern Kentucky area. Since relocating from downtown Cincinnati to Norwood in 2021, this satellite location allows more accessibility to their services for Northern Kentucky residents. This partnership is another step toward DFSC’s vision of a world where women do not live in poverty, are treated with dignity and respect, can strengthen their families and shape their communities.
“We are ecstatic to offer Dress for Success’ styling services in another location and to make our services more accessible for women in the surrounding areas of Cincinnati,” Dress for Success Cincinnati Programs Director Dr. Angela Rivers-Harper said. “Our goal is to expand our services beyond our main location so that we can meet the needs of each and every woman we interact with. We are looking forward to this partnership with the Life Learning Center as well as serving the women of Kentucky.”
Dress for Success Cincinnati and Life Learning Center will hold a Grand Opening announcing this new partnership on Thursday, February 16 from 3-5 p.m. The public is welcome to attend to learn more about Dress for Success Cincinnati’s Styling Services, tour the Life Learning Center and connect with representatives of both organizations. The opening will be held at Life Learning Center, 20 West 18th Street, Covington, KY 41011.
