Seeing the delight of a young man receiving his first ever suit was a special moment for the organiser of a recent clothing giveaway.

Mikal Minors, 24, donated more than 200 items of work attire to men in need wishing to elevate themselves through employment, interview and internship opportunities.

“A young man of about 16 and his parents came to pick out his first suit and we found him one that fit perfectly,” he said.

“He also got a bag of shirts – he was going for an internship. That was definitely one of the highlights of the drive for me.”

Mr Minors, who ran the drive through his clothing and entertainment venture Better Bermuda, began collecting suits and other smart clothing items back in February and recently gave them out from a donated space in Washington Mall in Hamilton.

He ended up with about 40 suits, 30 pairs of pants, 50 shirts, 100 ties and some belts.

He gave the vast majority of the items away over three days at the start of July and still has more to give.

Another happy customer included a young man who had started a new job at a clothing company but didn’t have any smart clothes to turn up in.

Another was out of work while one man had work but was looking to climb the ranks.

He said the event was such a success he hopes to grow it in the future.

“I am glad it went so well, it gives you an appreciation of the type of work that goes into this. I felt humbled, everybody was polite, respectful and positive.

“I’m looking at doing a part two in March and I want to do men’s and women’s clothes and make it bigger.”

He added that he had been further inspired after meeting a man who runs Bermuda Is Love which gives back to the community through clean-ups, clothing drives and blood donation.

Mr Minors gave a presentation at Sandys Rotary Club on July 21 about his efforts and was asked what else could be done for those who had fallen on hard times and needed a step up in the jobs market.

The question got him thinking what more he could do and gave him the impetus to share his own skills.

“My answer at the time was that I can only do what I can afford. But in thinking about it, the problem is so much deeper than clothes – it’s about getting a foot in the door for opportunities that Bermudians often can’t get into.

“Now I am looking to provide digital services – graphic design and some animation. They can have a skill that they can put on their resume that doesn’t necessarily come from a traditional education.”

For more information about Mr Minors’ Better Bermuda venture, visit https://www.bermudabetter.com/