Wilkes-Barre POWER! holds monthly networking event at Bettelli’s Villa

WILKES-BARRE TWP. — As Women’s History Month comes to a close, Wilkes-Barre POWER! held its monthly meet up Thursday at Bettelli’s Villa to shed spotlights on the woman-owned business and a local women-led organization that has worked to empower women to achieve economic independence.

Since it was founded in 2010, Dress for Success Luzerne County has helped over 2,000 women in the area get back into the workforce by providing career appropriate work attire, a network of support and the tools needed for women to thrive both in work and in life.

“The more people who know about the program the better, not only so that they could give back to them, but also if they have someone in need, it’s a resource that they could take advantage of,” said Wilkes-Barre Power vice president Rachael Stark.

According to Linda Loop, CEO and founder of Dress for Success Luzerne County, the need in the community for programs like the ones her organization provides has grown in recent years.

“Post pandemic, women are still dealing with big issues like childcare and services jobs that may have gone away so we’ve actually, in some instances, have had donors become clients,” Loop explained.

In particular, women who are incarcerated face an uphill battle when attempting to re-start their lives after leaving prison, and Dress for Success recently started a program at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility to better prepare them for that transition.

The organization also established a library at the facility, which Loop said is a precursor to some adult literacy programs.

Bettelli’s owner Jessica Sheehan shared that she herself was incarcerated at one point in her life and, in addition to being a successful business owner, has been sober for 5 years now.

“I cross paths quite frequently with women who have been touched by (Dress for Success) and it means a lot to me that everyone is here to support them and support me,” Sheehan said.

Sheehan is a fourth-generation owner of the Bettelli’s and officially took over when her mother passed away last year.

“Once I hit my late 30s, I really embraced the idea of my family legacy and this woman-owned business,” she said. “I think I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”