Desert Best Friends Closet

The unemployment rate for Veterans, despite the skills they have to offer, remains higher than their non-Veteran peers. New, innovative ways are needed to connect local Veterans to the support they have earned. Desert Best Friend's Closet (DBFC) recognizes the enormous sacrifice of our Veterans and military families, who have borne the full burden of our safety and the nation’s defense. This is a client population that is underserved in the Riverside County and DBFC would like to change that.

Desert Best Friend's Closet's Warriors to Work Initiative provides interview and professional attire for Veterans residing in Riverside County at no cost.

Our Warriors to Work Initiative was inspired by an email received from a client. “Scott P.,”  a Veteran and a resident of the emergency homeless shelter, Roy’s Desert Resource Center. He shared that he was frantically looking for a job in order to afford a place to live. He feared that without the right attire, no one would hire him, but he couldn’t afford to purchase clothes until he found a job. He felt trapped until he was referred to DBFC.

First I'd like to say that the experience at DBFC was extraordinary as I was very nervous about exposing my homelessness to anyone.  I was made to feel more than comfortable and treated with dignity, respect and kindness that was above and beyond what I'd imagined.  Secondly, the staff bent over backwards to ensure that my look was both professional and sharp and without a hint of rudeness about my lack of funds. –Scott P.

Scott P.’s experience is what has moved us to expand our reach to this underserved population.