National Clothesline
Five Star to help Dress for Success
In San Antonio, looking better just got a little easier for women who could use
a helping hand.
Five Star Cleaners, a family-owned cleaners for more than 30 years, recently
announced its new relationship with Dress for Success San Antonio, a local
non-profit organization that provides professional attire, support and career
development tools to disadvantaged women.
The drycleaning business, owned by Richard and Sharlene Thum and Bryan Newbold,
approached Dress for Success and proposed that local residents drop off their
business attire donations at all of its 18 locations serving the San Antonio
area.
Once the clothes are dropped off, Five Star will also clean, press and deliver
them to the Dress for Success headquarters free of charge.
According to Pamela Taylor, co-founder and executive director of Dress for
Success San Antonio, Five Star will provide a tremendous boost to the charity.
“We are very excited about the opportunity to work with Five Star Cleaners,” she said. “Their 18 locations throughout the city will make it much more convenient for
individuals to drop off donations, and we are happy that our donors will also
benefit with the cleaning coupons they’ll receive. In addition, the gracious and generous offer by Five Star Cleaners
to clean and press the donations is an incredible gift.”
Sharlene Thum, vice president for Five Star, is also looking forward to helping
women through the new partnership.
“We are impressed with the work that Dress for Success San Antonio does in
helping individuals break the chains of poverty, and we thought we should step
forward to do our part in helping the less fortunate become self sufficient
through gainful employment,” she explained.
The timing of the partnership is especially fortuitous since Dress for Success
San Antonio has to vacate its headquarters by Aug. 27. The building is
scheduled for demolition and the property is slated for expansion by University
Health Center - Downtown.
“We do not have pickup capabilities, and therefore, in the past donors were
required to bring them to us,” noted Angie Lewis, vice president of the organization’s board of directors. “Once we lose our parking lot, we basically would be handicapped in getting new
clothing donations for our clients, so Five Star’s offer is extremely helpful at this time.”
The agency is looking for a new headquarters location.
Eleven Five Star Cleaners locations in San Antonio have received the Award of
Excellence for Quality Garment Cleaning & Customer Service designation by the Clothing Care Council based in Washington,
DC.
Five Star is the only cleaners in San Antonio and one of only seven in Texas to
have earned the Award of Excellence. The company has received the award for the
past consecutive five years.
