The Newcastle branch of the Sydney-based charity Dress For Success, which supports more than 200 women each year to access career support workshops, interview styling and job preparation services, has received a welcome helping hand to keep its Newcastle showroom open for another year after a significant donation was added to its ongoing fundraising campaign this week.
Orica's Kooragang Island and Kurri Kurri Operations contributed $40,000 to the campaign on Friday, launching the fundraiser towards its goal of $75,000 - the amount the charity says it needs to run its Broadmeadow showroom, where it stores quality donated second-hand clothing and books, as well as running its face-to-face services to assist from Hunter women. The donation was made through Orica's community investment program, which supports social, environmental, and economic initiatives with enduring value.
Dress for Success is headquartered in Sydney and has operations in Newcastle and Wollongong, largely assisting women over the age of 45 who need support in finding work. Typically the women have fled situations of domestic violence or financial coercion, however the charity also assists refugees and women who simply need a confidence boost to enter or re-enter the workforce.
Leisa Sadler, the charity's chief executive, said that the Sydney office had been financially propping up the Newcastle operation, which began as a pop-up in the Hunter Street mall in 2019 before eventually moving to Broadmeadow in May, 2021.
"With Orica's generosity, the Newcastle-Hunter team of Dress for Success Sydney will be able to fulfill its local mission of empowering women into financial security," she said.
DFS Newcastle has previously received funding from NIB Foundation and Lake Macquarie council.
"When we read about the plight of Dress for Success, we thought it was important to offer our support," Orica manufacturing centre manager Paul Hastie said.
Mr Hastie called on industry partners to follow his company's lead and pitch in. Further details, including how to donate, are available here.
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