MenzFit organization looks for new home

A non-profit organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged men in Philadelphia find jobs is now looking for a little help of its own.

MenzFit had a partnership with the city for office space, but now the deal is in limbo after a recent move to a new building.

If clothes make the man, Rhonda Willingham, Founder and President of MenzFit is providing them and a lot more.

"I'm very passionate about what I do. Most organizations focus on women and children which is great but missing from the equation are our men," said Willingham.

Fourteen years in Washington, D.C. and 8 years in Philadelphia, the West Philadelphia native started MenzFit to help low income men, mostly minorities, find jobs by providing them free business attire and career development services.

Today, Willingham was on North Broad Street helping 20-year-old Carl and other participants of YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter.

The school partners with MenzFit and offers high school dropouts a second chance.

Christian Partlow of Mount Airy said, "To prove myself, to prove to the world and the statistic that even though I dropped out, I can still get my education and move on forward with my life."

But for Willingham, MenzFit has truly become a labor of love.

For weeks she's been hauling around shirts, suits and ties because she lost her 11th and Chestnut office space with the Mayor's office of Reintegration Services or Rise which helps ex-offenders.

RISE recently moved to 990 Spring Garden and MenzFit thought it was coming along, instead the group was left out in the cold.

"They're working through their process I assume, but we haven't heard anything so I can't wait any longer. The office space is critical to us because I can't quite do all the things that we offer in our suiting process," added Willingham.

Willingham continues her search for another donated space. She says she'll keep working out of car to suit up those men who are looking for a better future.

MenzFit is still hoping to hear from the city soon, but meanwhile Willingham is paying for storage space.

She says her non-profit helped about 25 men per week, but after it lost the office space, that number was cut in half.

LINK: Menzfit.org