“Reflecting on Suited for Success: A Proud Chapter in Our Story”
A Look Back at an Initiative Close to Our Hearts
There are moments in life that remind us of the impact we can make when we come together as a community. One of those proud moments for me was co-founding “Suited for Success”, an initiative designed to help individuals dress for job interviews with confidence and dignity.
This program, which we launched through our boutique Funk Your Junk at 125 Somerset St. West and later expanded with a store in the Ottawa ByWard Market, was driven by a shared vision: to empower those facing life’s challenges with professional attire that could help them take a meaningful step forward. Whether it was job seekers, newcomers, or individuals overcoming personal hardships, we believed in providing them with the tools to feel polished and prepared.
We were fortunate to collaborate with incredible organizations, including the Bronson Centre, the Youth Centre, and Operation Go Home. With their support and the generosity of our community, we collected suits, ties, and accessories to give away to those in need. Our work was further strengthened by United Way, who connected us to the individuals who would benefit most from our program.
Of course, we couldn’t have done this without local heroes like Hillary’s Cleaners, who stepped in to clean and repair every donated suit to perfection. Their contribution ensured that each item was ready for its next chapter—just like the people who wore them.
Our shop may have been small—affectionately known as “the closet”—but it was filled with heart. It became a space where transformation happened, not just in style but in spirit. We witnessed firsthand how something as simple as a suit could restore confidence and open doors.
Although “Suited for Success” is no longer in operation, its impact lives on in the stories of the people we had the privilege of supporting. The experience also deepened our belief in sustainability and the power of community care. From reducing textile waste to making fashion more accessible, this chapter reaffirmed our commitment to mindful living.
Looking back, I’m filled with gratitude for everyone who donated, collaborated, or supported this project. While this initiative was a moment in time, its legacy continues to inspire the way we approach life, art, and service.
At Eh Canadian Peace™, we remain dedicated to honoring the values of compassion, mindfulness, and resilience—values that remind us that small acts of kindness can create lasting change.
To those who were part of this story: thank you for believing in our vision. Your support made all the difference.
Article Written By Center Town News Mathew Klie-Cribb November 13, 2009
Centretown’s newest used clothing boutique is in the early stages of a project that may give away suits and accessories to people who need help dressing up for job interviews.
Funk Your Junk opened at 125 Somerset St. West recently. The store’s goal is to help customers find unusual, funky used clothing while also helping the environment, says co-owner Henri Groulx.
Groulx and Angie Auchterlonie, the other co-owner, are well positioned to start the suit donation program – dubbed Suited for Success – because they have connections in the corporate world.
“We know a lot of people who have suits they don’t wear anymore, so we’re getting people to donate their suits,” says Auchterlonie.
Auchterlonie used to be a corporate executive and Groulx still is.
“Over the years, we’ve done thousands of interviews and we noticed that some people would have felt more comfortable if they wore the right suit,” says Groulx.
There are people in the community who want to make changes in their lives – immigrants, single parents, substance abusers – but can’t afford a new suit, says Auchterlonie.
“We’re going to make them look polished and ready to go,” she says.
But before the program can even begin, Groulx and Auchterlonie need to finalize arrangements with the United Way, which will connect the pair with people in the community who need this help.
“We don’t have the capability or the experience to be able to know who needs our suits the most,” says Groulx.
That’s why United Way is test-piloting the program to see how it can work with Funk Your Junk, says Kate Headley, United Way media co-ordinator. Before the charity officially joins any program it has to test to see how it will help people, she says.
Until the end of the year, Funk Your Junk will be running a few people through the program – one or two per week – to work out the kinks, says Auchterlonie.
These people will come from United Way, but how the charity will identify them is yet to be determined, she says.
United Way might decide to go to the Ottawa Mission and say there's a program that can help them; then the mission will say it needs a size 32, and United Way will flip that information back to Funk Your Junk.
But this process may be unsuitable for the United Way and it might decide another group needs the program more, says Groulx.
So while United Way supports the program, it won’t officially be on board until the pilot phase is complete in January, says Elise Reekie, a United Way employee.
The pilot phase is also testing logistics, says Reekie. “We can’t go full out in the community because if we have 200 clients and only 10 suits then we’ll have a lot of disappointed people,” says Reekie.
“We also have to work out little bugs like how to get people to the store – we might have to pick them up,” says Groulx.
Hillary’s Cleaners has recently agreed to do all the cleaning and repairing, says owner Bruce Hillary.
Hillary's Cleaners has operated in Ottawa since 1949. It has twp major dry-cleaning plants and nine other depots across the city, says Hillary.
Until Funk Your Junk finds out if United Way will permanently join the program in January, they will continue operating out of its small store fondly nicknamed "the closet" by Groulx and Auchterlonie.
Although Groulx says he knew right away that the store was too small – they even have to send customers to the neighbouring tailor to use the change room – he says the small space keeps the store more personal.
Funk Your Junk does not only give away free suits, it also sells funky used clothing.
Groulx and Auchterlonie hope to make used clothing cool by sewing their brand into all their products.
They say they opened the store because it’s more exciting than their day jobs and it makes a difference to the local environment by keeping clothing out of the dump.
“Textile waste accounts for more than four per cent of Canadian landfills,” says Auchterlonie.
