Spotlight On: Helene Shandell
- Posted on:
- February 9, 2010
In the summer of 2007, Helene Shandell, a retired Manhattan executive, was looking for a place to volunteer. She contacted F.E.G.S. Health and Human Service System, a UJA-Federation of New York beneficiary agency, and within a few months became a leading force at one of its important programs, Suited for Work.
The program provides new men’s and women’s clothing, donated by stores and manufacturers, to F.E.G.S. welfare-to-work and disadvantaged clients. Shandell works at the F.E.G.S. facility Hudson Street headquarters, helping clients find appropriate suits, jackets, shirts, and other apparel to wear for job interviews or to a job itself.
“The job market has been very bad, and many don’t have the proper clothes,” she says. “But everyone is entitled to a suit and tie to present themselves well at an interview.”
According to Karen Zuckerman, Assistant Vice President of Volunteers and Student Internships at F.E.G.S., Shandell “always has a smile on her face and treats all of our clients with respect and concern for their physical and mental well-being. She is patient, kind, warm, and compassionate.”
Clients, who are referred to Suited for Work by F.E.G.S. job counselors, meet Shandell at an office set up like a store, with clothing arranged by size and style. After talking to them, she helps them find a new outfit they will enjoy wearing.
“People come in feeling depressed and they go out feeling confident, with a changed attitude,” Shandell notes. “That makes me feel very good.”
Shanell looks forward to undertaking the added responsibility of coordinating the volunteers on this project and helping to recruit others. “I’ve always lived in New York City, and I’ve had a very good life,” she adds. “I want to give back.”