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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Melissa Smith looked sharp as she stood in the Dress for Success shop.</p><p>Smith, 24, of Brooklyn, New York, now lives in Wilkes-Barre. It wasn&#8217;t that long ago she walked through the shop&#8217;s front door looking for help.</p><p>&#8220;I needed help and Linda was there for me,&#8221; Smith said of Linda Armstrong, the owner/operator of Dress for Success. &#8220;I needed nice clothing to go for an interview at Sam&#8217;s Club.&#8221;</p><p>Smith said Armstrong helped her pick out six outfits, some jewelry and offered &#8220;a lot of advice&#8221; before sending her on her way.</p><p>Smith got the job.</p><p>&#8220;I was so nervous,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I took a deep breath and I did it.&#8221;</p><p>Armstrong reopened her Dress for Success Luzerne County shop on Tuesday after being forced to temporarily close for repairs on Sept. 8. That&#8217;s when a broken water main forced muddy water through a pipe, causing a valve in a hot water heater to burst, spilling water into the shop and severely damaging the agency and ruining the clothing.</p><p>Tuesday was a day of celebration at 38 W. Market St. The event was held in conjunction with a graduation ceremony for participants of the affiliated Going Places Network, part of the Walmart Foundation.</p><p>Armstrong, who founded Dress for Success in Luzerne County, also spearheaded the effort to establish the local Going Places Network that helps women who have been unemployed or underemployed get the confidence and skills needed to return to work and build thriving and sustaining careers.</p><p>People like Smith, who also participated in the Going Places Network, are grateful to Armstrong and her &#8220;sincere, genuine concern&#8221; for the clients she serves.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m between jobs right now,&#8221; Smith said. &#8220;But I&#8217;m back in school at Luzerne County Community College to get my GED and I plan to enter the social work program. I want to work with children with behavioral issues.&#8221;</p><p>Armstrong said reopening Dress for Success was a struggle, but she&#8217;s glad she decided to come back.</p><p>&#8220;I decided to follow the example of our women,&#8221; Armstrong said. &#8220;Like our clients, I decided we should pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and get on with our lives. I couldn&#8217;t quit. We have to continue our mission.&#8221;</p><p>Madison Gallagher, a 19-year-old sophomore at King&#8217;s College, has been working with Armstrong through a work study program. She said she has learned a great deal about herself as she decides the career path she would like to explore.</p><p>&#8220;Meeting other women who feel the same way I do was inspiring and helped me focus on the skills I need to obtain,&#8221; Gallagher said. &#8220;Linda amazes me with her dedication to her clients. She is so passionate and she believes in what she does for her clients. She helps them get back on their feet.&#8221;</p><p>Nataki Bhatti, of Wilkes-Barre, operates a business, T&#246;ki in a Suitcase, where she makes one-of-a-kind crocheted hats. Bhatti said she went to Armstrong for help with her resume and business direction.</p><p>&#8220;Linda is phenomenal with what she does every day,&#8221; Bhatti said. &#8220;She is very much needed in this community. Women, especially young mothers, need extra support and services. Linda is so positive and she has a hands-on approach.&#8221;</p><p>Jack Davis, vice president at Robert Half, a specialized staffing agency in Bethlehem, arrived with a large donation of clothing for Dress for Success. A Wilkes University graduate, Davis said his company has been involved with Dress for Success on a national level and, since 2002, has donated more than 275,000 items to the agency at several locations.</p><p>Armstrong said since Dress for Success Luzerne County, which became operational in December 2010, has reached more than 600 economically-disadvantaged women from the area by providing clothing and job interview support and guidance. Dress for Success Luzerne County continues programs to enhance economic and social development, encouraging self-sufficiency through career development and employment retention.</p><p>&#8220;We built a dream here in Wilkes-Barre,&#8221; Armstrong said. &#8220;And that dream got destroyed. But we&#8217;re back now and we will continue to help our clients any way we can.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Dress for Success reopened Tuesday after being forced to close two months ago when a water pipe broke and the building and inventory sustained severe damage. Here, volunteers carry a large donation of clothing for Linda Armstrong, the agency&#8217;s owner/operator. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL110415DressForSuccess.jpg</photo0><caption0>Dress for Success reopened Tuesday after being forced to close two months ago when a water pipe broke and the building and inventory sustained severe damage. Here, volunteers carry a large donation of clothing for Linda Armstrong, the agency&#8217;s owner/operator. </caption0><photoCredit0>Clark Van Orden | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Dress for Success Luzerne County reopens after being closed due to water damage