North Texas charity in need of help after donations destroyed

A Dallas charity is mopping up after a leaky pipe flooded their store, destroying hundreds of donated items of clothing.

For the past 10 years, Dress For Success has been helping women make a fresh start. It provides clothes to women interviewing for jobs.

Now, after a pipe leaked during rains last week, the charity is trying to make its own fresh start.

The water rained down on, and ruined, about 1,000 outfits.

"We lost mainly larger sizes, sizes 18 and up, so that's really what we need,” said executive director Janie Bordner.

Clothes that would have helped women get the job and career they need.

"And this being a really important time of the year, especially for people trying to find a job, there's a lot of people hiring right now and for us not being able to help ‘em, that's my big frustration,” said Bordner.  

Matthew Gallagher owns a construction company and has swooped in to help with clean-up.

"This charity's definitely close to my heart,” said Gallagher. “I have three sisters and two daughters, so I really like what they do here.”

The damage forced Dress For Success to remove clothes and take up carpet in three of its four offices in the Valley View Mall.

That’s when former client Suzanne Thomas saw the damage.

"We're thankful, yes, but at the same time…to know so many people out there who we do have to serve and not being able to do it, it's just heartbreaking, really,” said Thomas.

They need clothes donated, and they’ll be working throughout the weekend to get into a new space that the mall moved them to.

They hope to start serving clients again by Monday.