Articles and News

Dallas, PA—In celebration of Women’s History Month, Dress for Success of Wilkes Barre, PA is naming 31 “Women In Power” throughout the month of March. Jeweler Elva Valentine, owner of Valentine’s Jewelry in nearby Dallas, was named as one of them.

Dress for Success provides support for disadvantaged women who are entering or returning to the workplace. It provides mentoring, training, and suitable wardrobe of work-appropriate clothing through donations of either money or gently-used business clothes. Valentine has been actively involved in fundraising for organization for the past few years.

“Needless to say, it has been an especially tough year for these women. Hopefully focusing on women who have ‘made it’ will emphasize that all women have the capacity to do so,” says Valentine.

“Normally, the major fundraiser is usually a Diamond Event where I donate a 3/4 carat [diamond] and several hundred cz’s, packaging, whatever works. One each is dropped into a glass of champagne. The glasses are sold and someone wins the diamond,” Valentine told The Centurion. The organization also normally hosts a very popular March luncheon that celebrates women, and Valentine herself also has been “sold” as a mentor during that lunch.

Since in-person events were not possible this past year, this is one of the replacement events, explained Valentine. The fundraising component is the sale of “Women in Power” T-shirts and a direct request for donations. 

Valentine’s supports over 100 charities and worthwhile causes in its community. Just a few others include the Back Mountain Food Pantry, Community Cares for Kids, the American Cancer Society, the Junior League of Wilkes-Barre’s women’s and children’s programs and Geisinger’s Children’s Miracle Fund. 

“None of this would have been possible without the community’s commitment to Valentine’s and our commitment to our community,” says Valentine.