Two West Virginia University School of Journalism students, interning this summer at GolinHarris – one of the nation’s top public relations firms – helped the company become the top contributor in a recent Washington, D.C., business clothing drive for adults re-entering the workforce.
SOJ graduate student Briana Warner of Scott Depot, W.Va, and public relations major Jenna Froess of Erie, Pa., helped to organize GolinHarris’ efforts in the 4th Annual Capitol PurSuit Drive. Both were responsible for communicating with the media and the general public about the drive.
“We spoke with local businesses and vendors in Arlington, Va. to encourage them to not only donate gift certificates for raffle prizes, but also to encourage them and their customers to participate in the event and donate old business attire,” Froess said.
On June 27, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and other members of Congress spoke out about the importance of helping people make great first impressions at the clothing drive, which is sponsored by The American League of Lobbyists, Men’s Warehouse, Working Wardrobes and The Hill newspapers.
The drive, designed to benefit local and nationwide non-profit organizations, collected more than 6,600 articles of business clothing, with GolinHarris being the largest contributing body.
“It was amazing to see the thousands of suits and dress pants that were lined up wall to wall,” Warner said. “Just knowing that they were going to people who really needed them was great.”
For the second year in a row, GolinHarris was named the “Best Suited” firm in Washington, D.C., area. GolinHarris collected 506 articles of business attire and more than 200 business accessories, including ties, shoes and belts, surpassing last year’s collection by over 200 items.