The philanthropy group WKU Sisterhood voted to give $30,000 to the PEAK Professional Clothes Closet during their annual meeting Friday. Members from the Sisterhood also donated multiple bags of items to be used in the closet after the meeting.

Internship Coordinator and PEAK Director Monica Duvall said the grant and clothing donation will greatly aid in the closet’s mission.

“The impact is huge,” Duvall said. “We serve a lot of first-generation college students, who are sometimes unfamiliar with the world of dressing professionally.”

The $30,000 donation will go towards expanding the current space the closet occupies on the second floor of Grise Hall, as well as purchasing additional clothing for students. The closet started three years ago and is open to any student in the College of Business, who is eligible to pick out and keep a free outfit from the items available. Duvall said many students use items from the closet during internship and job interviews or other events that require dressing professionally.

The WKU Sisterhood was founded in 2009 as a “group of women with shared values, who enjoy collaborating to advance the mission of WKU,” according to the website. Sisterhood member Margo Grace said the $1,000 membership fee allows the group to review and accept proposals from the community, professors and students at WKU. 

This year, the Sisterhood granted $55,000 to four different proposals, including the professional clothes closet.

“We want our students to have a great opportunity to get a job, represent WKU well and do well in life,” Grace said.

Regent Julie Hinson was present at the clothing drop off and said it was “kind of fun to haul everything down here.” Hinson and other members traveled on a bus from Louisville to Bowling Green for the Sisterhood meeting.

Founding member of WKU Sisterhood Michelle Wells said she first learned about the clothes closet through her involvement on the business school advisory committee. She estimated 15 other WKU Sisterhood members donated items for the closet.

Reporter Emily DeLetter can be reached at 270-745-6011 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @emilydeletter.