Trying on Opportunity

Through her nonprofit, Jackets for Jobs, Alison Vaughn, ’99, is helping build up the Detroit workforce, one outfit at a time.

September 30, 2024

Alison Vaughn has a gift for making connections with people. But it was a lost connection that led to her forging deep bonds with those in need.

“I had a sister where we had the same father but different mothers,” she says.

After their father’s funeral, they went their separate ways. Years later, with the help of her aunt, Vaughn found her sister and the pair renewed their bond—but the relationship was sadly short-lived. “When we first got back in touch, my sister told me she had cancer,” Vaughn says. “She was gone six months later.”

The experience left a lasting impression. Vaughn was grateful she hadn’t been too late, but it left her questioning what might have been.

“We went down very different paths,” says Vaughn. “I was able to go to college, she didn’t have that chance. I found out she had been on welfare. Our lives were so different and I was taken by that. I wanted to help other women improve their situation, so I started an organization which ultimately ended up helping both women and men.”

Vaughn became founder and CEO of Jackets for Jobs in 2000, a nonprofit affiliated with the City of Detroit Workforce Development, which has helped close to 40,000 jobseekers obtain professional clothing and job training.

“Before we ever speak during a job interview, we are judged on appearance,” she says. “If we can have good enough clothes, that judgment can be stopped, and it can greatly change our self-esteem.”

At Jackets for Jobs, those they help are clients, and a client’s time and needs are respected. “We have four image consultants, two in each of our offices,” Vaughn says. “The consultants help based on the client’s particular job interview, whether need a suit, or a nice pair of slacks and a shirt, or a skirt and a top.”

The team helps with almost all things wardrobe, such as teaching clients to tie a necktie and offering tips on how to match a blouse with a dress. “Many have never worn a dress before,” Vaughn says. “Learning these things can really build confidence.

For Vaughn, who had previously worked for United Airlines as a representative for flight attendants, she’s still flying. “It’s an incredibly gratifying feeling to help people’s lives in this way,” she says. “You see the effect a good job can have.”

Vaughn is also a proud MSU alum, calling her school years critical to her success. “I had a choice of a few schools, but I felt Michigan State would challenge me and provide me with a foundation,” she says. “I’m thrilled to be a Spartan. I was asked to be the keynote speaker for Model United Nations at Michigan State—I felt I had come full circle doing that.”

Vaughn, in fact, has had quite a few thrills as part of Jackets for Jobs, including appearances on “The View” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

But the media appearance that made the biggest impact, she says, may have been “The Today Show.”

“Al Roker came out to us in Detroit and they gave us so much TV time,” she says. “We’ve had so many wonderful things happen by people contacting us. It feels good to have someone help.”

Funny to hear that coming from Vaughn, because thousands of clients say the same about her. 

Contributing Writer(s): Eric Butterman