Dress for Success: our charity partner
By Dianna
Miss Links is proud to support Dress For Success Melbourne, a charity group that provides clothes and assistance for disadvantaged job seekers. Ten dollars from every sale of the pearl trio cufflinks is donated each month, as well as a cash donation.
As I planned the launch of Miss Links I decided that it would be important to give back to the community and help those less fortunate. I wanted a charity with a natural alignment to the Miss Links brand and one that my customers would be happy to support too. Dress For Success was an easy choice.
When I visited the Dress For Success warehouse in South Melbourne I was truly impressed by their efforts. CEO Peter Sprott gave me a tour and I was able to meet the lovely volunteers who spend many hours sorting clothes for donations and assisting job seekers choose a professional wardrobe.
Peter told me that so many people wanting a job simply don’t have and can’t afford professional attire, creating a massive barrier to establishing a successful working life.
“We provide complete outfits for a job interview – suits, shoes, shirts, skirts, ties and accessories,” says Peter. “I’ve seen men and women, young and old transformed from slouchy and shy to confident and smart by dressing them in a sharp suit and giving tips on grooming and professional presentation.”
The team also help job seekers with handling the interview process, answering tricky questions and even perfecting a handshake – small but consequential details that can help job seekers feel more confident and prepared.
When job seekers are successful, they can go back to Dress For Success and get a week’s worth of professional clothes, absolutely free. How terrific!
“When our clients do get a job, their first paychecks are often used to pay off previous debts, so it’s likely that they still can’t afford work clothes. A week’s worth of clothes can last till debts are paid.”
So who uses the Dress For Success service? Turns out more people than you’d imagine. There’s young people, people recovering from addictions of all kinds, parents returning to the workforce, migrants, people with disabilities or anyone down on their luck and needing help. Clients must be referred via a jobseeking agency, like Centrelink. The charity helps women under the Dress for Success name and the men’s charity is called Wear for Success.
This can be the first step from a life on welfare and handouts to a new career, more income and higher self-esteem and confidence.
Want to help?
There’s plenty of ways to get involved. Of course, purchasing a pair of our stunning pearl trio cufflinks is a good start! Or you could arrange a clothing drive in your office. Even if you don’t have professional clothes to donate, Dress For Success can sell clothes that aren’t suitable for clients to raise funds. Check out the Dress for Success website for other ways to make donations, volunteer or participate in events.