From Clothing to Opportunity: How NLCA Helped Omni Employees Shine
As Omni Hotel prepared for its Annual Employee Gala, leadership encountered an unexpected challenge: not every team member owned formal wear.
Every year, Omni Hotel Atlanta hosts Cosmic Couture, a celebration filled with music, food, prizes, and a fashion show. The night’s designed to honor and uplift their team. But as planning intensified, concerns about dress arose.
Determined to ensure everyone could participate with confidence, Omni reached out to New Life Community Alliance (NLCA).
Within days, NLCA donated gowns, slacks, and blazers through Garments of Grace. The quick turnaround, facilitated by Operations Manager Earnest Jackson, ensured formal attire was accessible.
“We came back to the hotel, hung the dresses on our racks, and we are still serving our team by passing out gowns, slacks, and blazers for our Gala,” Jackie Duncan, Guest Relations Manager at Omni, recalls a few days before the event.
And on Friday, March 6, Cosmic Couture came to life. Employees stepped into the Gala dressed with confidence, without the added burden of purchasing formal wear.
Beyond the Gala: Building Careers
This was not NLCA’s first partnership with Omni.
Jackie’s connection to NLCA began as a volunteer with Garments of Grace. Today, she serves as the Co-Chair of Omni’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, where she advocates for employees and ensures they have the tools needed to succeed.
Inspired by NLCA’s dignity-centered model, she helped shape Omni’s Career Closet into a resource that promotes equity, confidence, and opportunity.
“Our main goal is to be a catalyst for change for our team,” she says.
Over the past couple of years, NLCA has helped stock Omni’s Career Closet, providing employees with access to professional attire year-round. And it matters.
“Many team members have been promoted to higher roles in our company due to expanding their wardrobe and being able to dress professionally,” Jackie shares.
NLCA and Omni hold a shared mission: to help people as they step into their next chapter.
From gala gowns to job promotions, clothing becomes more than fabric. It becomes a pathway to new opportunities. It builds confidence. It supports economic mobility.
Through Garments of Grace and Omni’s Career Closet, individuals are equipped not only to look the part but also to step fully into new possibilities.
Through this partnership, dignity is restored, confidence is strengthened, and new pathways are created.
Join the mission. Donate or volunteer with Garments of Grace and help someone confidently step into their next chapter.
