More than a dozen women got free professional clothes on Saturday thanks to the Suffolk Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

The chapter came up with the “Dressing for New Endeavors” program when it was seeking to do an initiative that lined up with the sorority’s national initiative, domestic violence, but could benefit all women, not just domestic violence survivors.

More than 100 items of clothing were donated, first vice president Tina Paul said.

“Most of the donations came from members of our chapter,” she said. The donations included pantsuits, dresses, skirts, blouses, shoes, purses and jewelry.

“It’s been a wonderful event,” president Debra Jefferson-Fitzgerald said. “I’m so happy we could do it.”

Shané Gill, case manager at the Genieve Shelter, said she had seen many women leaving excited. Several said they had never owned professional clothing before.

Paul said the chapter plans to do the event again.

“We were going to wait to see if it was a success,” she said. “We also discussed doing formal and semi-formal attire. That would be geared toward high school and college kids who have formal events to attend.”

The chapter has 63 members, Paul said, and nearly all helped in some way with Saturday’s event, which was hosted by First Baptist Church Mahan Street.

The leftover clothes were donated to the Genieve Shelter for its clients who were unable to make it on Saturday.