metro Need a Lender You Can Trust? Ilene Lubin: 248-556-6275 -ʛʣÎnxÎ{Î ˆÕLˆ˜Jȓ«i“œÀÌ}>}i°VV ÜÜÜ°ˆÕLˆ˜°Ãˆ“«i“œÀÌ}>}i°VV We’re Making a Complicated Process SIMPLE Again! Loan Products Available: œ˜Ûi˜Ìˆœ˜>ÊUÊÊUÊ6ÊUÊ,ÕÀ>Ê iÛiœ«“i˜ÌÊ Õ“LœÊUÊÓäΎÊUÊ œ˜Ûi˜Ìˆœ˜>Ê,i >Lʜ>˜ÃÊ "˜i‡/ˆ“iÊ œÃiÊ œ˜ÃÌÀÕV̈œ˜Êœ>˜Ã Haberdasher dresses Detroit teens for success. FREE Home Buyers Seminar Every Wednesday, 6-7:30pm Shari S. Cohen Contributing Writer -ʛÊnnäÈÓx 33200 Woodward Avenue | Birmingham R LEARN TO SAIL PONTIAC YOUTH SAILING 3270 WARDS POINT DRIVE MON THRU FRIDAY 9:00am - 3:00pm Children’s Learn to Sail and Racing Camp. Classes begin June 20th and continue weekly thru August 19th. No experience required. Ages 6-18 www.pyc54.org email: pycjrs@gmail.com 2105280 DESIGNS IN DECORATOR WOOD & LAMINATES, LTD. It Doesn't Have To Cost A Fortune… Only Look Like It! Complete kitchen and bathroom remodeling as well as furniture design and installations including granite, wood and other materials. Lois Haron Allied Member ASID 248.851.6989 24 June 23 • 2016 Project Pinstripe Student Chris Triplett gets measured for a suit by Rob Wachler of Project Pinstripe. ob Wachler dresses his cus- tomers for success with cus- tom suits made of beautiful materials and well-coordinated shirts and ties. But once a year, instead of suc- cessful business people, his clients are graduating seniors from Detroit-area high schools — teenagers who need a suit for their graduation, prom or a job interview. Wachler, 62, a haberdasher for many years with the Tom James Company, a high-end national custom suit maker, arranges donations of gently used suits, shirts and ties from his affluent clients and others. The clothing is given to high school seniors, mainly from Detroit — boys who are referred by high school counselors for Wachler’s annual Project Pinstripe program. In March at YouthVille Detroit, a Detroit youth center, a group of 64 young men were measured and then guided to a rack with suits in their size. They each chose a suit, shirt and two ties — all with the help of adult vol- unteers, many Tom James employees. Then each teen was fitted for his suit, often with Wachler pinning them while dictating notes to a volunteer. Over the next few months, the suits were profes- sionally altered, cleaned at no charge by Huntington Cleaners, and delivered with the shirts and ties to 12 high schools. Clothes are only one step of Project Pinstripe. “We want to encourage confidence and self-esteem with tools for making a positive impression,” Wachler says. To accomplish that, the annual program includes motivational speakers, etiquette tips, mock job interviews and informa- tion about effective use of the internet. Project Pinstripe was started by a Tom James corporate executive and held in multiple cities, including Detroit, for a number of years. Wachler was very devoted to the program, and after the company ended its participation, he kept it going here on his own, contacting Detroit high school counselors and men- toring groups to invite participants. While pre-registration is requested, Wachler never says no to anyone. Many have financial need and this may be their first suit. Fortunately, his clients and friends are generous. This year, Wachler had 500 gently used suits so he needed ware- house space. One of his clients, Frank O’Mara, owner of O’Mara’s Restaurant in Berkley, donates hot lunches for Project Pinstripe. O’Mara is a member of the Detroit A.M. Rotary Club, a service organization, and this Rotary chapter provides volunteers for Project Pinstripe. Other partners are Detroit nonprofits Don Bosco Hall, Franklin-Wright Settlements and Alpha Phi Alpha, an African American frater- nity. This year, they were joined by eight young volunteers from City Year Detroit. Josh Breshgold, 28, of West Bloomfield, a former intern of Wachler’s, has volunteered at Project Pinstripe for eight years. “I try to interact one on one with the students, help them select a suit and take measurements,” he explains. Wachler’s daughter Amy, a 28-year- old event planner who lives in Boston, helped with logistics, along with his wife, Judy, an educator. Last year, he and his family started a scholarship fund to award $1,000 annually to a Project Pinstripe participant recommended by counselors and principals. “I am so proud of what he is doing. I am so pleased at how inspired the young men get from those who have come in previous years and now have jobs and are in college,” said Barbara Wachler of Southfield, Rob Wachler’s mother. At the end of the program, the teens’ evaluations of Project Pinstripe were overwhelmingly favorable, Wachler said. They left with some useful handouts about making a favorable impression through good clothing and grooming choices, as well as real-life insight into the business world, and the promise of a well-fitted suit ready for prom, gradua- tion and job interviews. *