Taken to the Cleaners

The adage that "it takes money to make money" is often true. If you are looking for a job, you need to invest in making a good first impression, but that can be hard to do when times are tight. Carlos Vasquez is doing his part to help out. He and his wife own First Professional Cleaners on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He posted a sign: "If you are unemployed and need an outfit clean for a interview, we will clean it for free." It is his way of giving back to his community. Vasquez originally made the offer after the 9/11 attack, and the sign had remained up in the window without anyone really noticing. He had actually taken it back down last year, but then he put it up again 2 months ago. Some people have taken up the offer, and at least 2 of his customers landed their jobs.

New York Daily News story
NPR story