About Bottomless Closet

Mission

Bottomless Closet’s mission is to be the connection that inspires and guides disadvantaged New York City women to enter the workforce and achieve success.

 

Vision

Bottomless Closet envisions a time when all women overcome poverty and achieveself-sufficiency for themselves and their families.

 

History

Bottomless Closet was established by a group of founding volunteers in response to an August, 1996 New York Times article that spoke about the obstacles that mothers on public assistance had seeking work, including the lack of appropriate interview clothing and the lack of self-confidence to present themselves professionally in an unfamiliar interview setting. The founders were also responding to the passage of “The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act”, also known as The Welfare Reform Act, the same year which radically transformed the nation’s welfare system by imposing a time limit on federal welfare benefits further complicating women’s transition from public assistance into the workforce.
What is perhaps most remarkable about Bottomless Closet is that, from the beginning, it has relied on the support of a dedicated group of volunteers to accomplish the work and mission of the organization. Bottomless Closet believes that this is because the simplicity and strength of the concept of “women helping women” resonates so deeply with women who are introduced to the organization.