The clothes make the man or woman. That adage is being taken to heart by the operators of The Wardrobe, a non-profit that has worked for 26 years to end clothing insecurity in the Philadelphia region, writes Jan Carabeo for CBS 3 Philly.

Tameka Young, the outreach coordinator, sees the transformation when people get decent clothes to work and live in. Some are moved to tears.

The Wardrobe has a store in Lansdowne where you can buy used clothing to help support their mission, but they also accept appointments to outfit those in need of decent clothing.

Now there’s a new program, “Returning Wardrobe,” that outfits those leaving incarceration.

 “Everything and everyone deserves a second chance,” says Sheri Cole, executive director.

Staffers help put together a “wardrobe box” with a personally styled outfit for the person as they leave incarceration. 

“They have all the clothing they need, that not only makes them look great to the outside world and release some of that stigma but also makes them feel like they had access to choice, to dignity, to respect,” Cole said.

Donations are always needed and happily accepted.

Read more at CBS 3 Philly about The Wardrobe and its mission to end clothing insecurity.