Weekenders Sales Manager Initiates Relief Effort for Gulf Coast Katrina Teachers

Of the 62 teachers in Mississippi’s Gulfview Elementary School, 54 of them lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina. When Marijane Relth, Executive Sales Manager for Weekenders USA, visited this Gulf Coast city of Mississippi recently, she found teachers living in tents and sleeping in their cars.

Since August 29th when Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, the coastal communities of Gulfport, Pass Christian, Long Beach, Waveland, Delisle and Bay St. Louis have been struggling to get basic services and supplies back on-line. Necessities such as food and clothing disappeared overnight and are only available through donations from volunteers, contributors and sponsors across the country.

After visiting this area over the last couple of months, Relth, a Weekenders Executive Sales Manager, has initiated the “Fashions for Compassion” program to provide new working wardrobes to help women get back to work and give them new hope and reassurance that their plight has not been forgotten.

Relth’s grassroots effort idea began with her visit to Gulfview Elementary School and has now grown to include over 400 teachers. “Fashions for Compassion” has expanded to help the teachers and staff at Delisle Elementary, Hancock High, Hancock Middle, Pass Christian High, Pass Christian Middle, Charles B. Murphy Elementary, St. Peters, Coast Episcopal and Gulfcoast Mental Health.

Weekenders clothing concept, Wardrobe Planning Made Easy, will provide wardrobe solutions to these Gulf Coast teachers. Weekenders 10-piece classic core wardrobe can be mixed and matched to create 20 to 27 different outfits for each of these teachers. The garments are wash and wear, which is perfect in light of their current situation.

“Fashion for Compassion” is providing a ten-piece Weekenders wardrobe to each of these 400 Gulf Coast teachers. Relth initially sent the women fabric swatches from Weekenders Fall Collection with Gift Certificates entitling them to $550 Shopping Dollars, enough for ten garments. The teachers filled out the wardrobe plans and completed their wish lists. Relth has since visited Mississippi twice in the last 30 days to collect the teachers’ wish lists and make fittings. The wish lists are being distributed to Weekender Fashion Coordinators across the US who will be looking for sponsors within their communities. Once the lists are sponsored by caring groups or individuals, Weekenders will then place the orders and the new wardrobes will be boxed and shipped to each woman individually.

Individuals and organizations can join this cause and help these Katrina teachers in several ways:

§Host a Fashion Presentation in your home with 4-6 friends. 100% of all proceeds will go to underwrite and sponsor a new wardrobe for a teacher in Mississippi.

§Take one teacher’s wish list to your workplace or organization and have friends or co-workers sponsor the garments (check, Visa, MC, Discover are okay).

§Make a cash donation.

“Fashions for Compassion” is seeking sponsors for new wardrobes to 400 teachers and support staff in the Mississippi Gulf Coast region. These teachers and staff have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Support Katrina teachers today – contact Susan Firth, Tucson Sales Manager for Weekenders USA, at 520-219-7039.