The past couple of months have also been incredibly busy, both with dressing our many, many clients (we've dressed 435 clients since May 2009!) and with our fundraising events.  These endeavours would not be successful without you, our volunteers. 

 

Last week was Volunteer Week - 5.4 million people volunteer in Australia each year which contributes to 4.3% of Australia's GDP. A survey released also revealed that close to a third of community organisations said over 75% of their work is done by volunteers.  For Dress for Success Sydney, it's closer to 85%.  We simply wouldn't be anywhere without you, so thank you for contributing your time and efforts to our cause.

 

 

 

 

We have a number of volunteering opportunities and we'd love to have some people come forward to be involved.

 

 

This is a newly formed committee to assist in the workings of the showroom and we are seeking members to work together and support the Showroom Convenor. As a member of this committee you would have a responsibility to oversee one part of the showroom activities as well as attending a meeting once every 6 weeks or so.

 

Activities of the showroom include: rostering sorters; co-ordinating market sales of excess clothing; checking stock levels in the showroom; and sourcing new clothing.

Member of Liaison Sub-Committee

Members of this committee represent Dress for Success Sydney in various ways, but especially in connecting with the referral agencies who supply us with our much valued clients. This is an important role suited to someone who has time during regular work hours.

Clothes sorters

We have a small and dedicated group of people who sort clothes for us on a regular or semi-regular basis. But we need more!

Administration

We need one or two people who would be willing to give 3-4 hours once per week or once per fortnight to help our office team with the load of administrative tasks that grow as our service grows. 

 

Email us on info@dfssydney.org if you're interested in any of these opportunities. For more ideas on how to volunteer or to keep updated visit our website on our volunteer web page

 

 

Would you like to be a part of the development of this exciting new program?

We are going to hold a meeting in the next couple of weeks to discuss how we will set up this program, what it will look like and how we'll get it going.

 

If you would like to be part of the working group to establish this program please let me know. We need your interest and support. Call Kerri on 0401 484 531 or email to kerri.jacobson@gmail.com

 

 

After giving Dress for Success Sydney many days, weeks and months of her time and expertise, Jen Levy has stepped down from her position on the Management Committee and as Showroom Convenor.

 

In 2008, as we were working to establish our service, Jen volunteered to join the Management Committee and to take on the pivotal role of Showroom Convenor. The well-stocked and professionally fitted-out Showroom that our volunteers and clients now enjoy is due to the leadership and hard work Jen has consistently given since our Showroom was just a gleam in our eye.

She would be there at all hours of the day, often just making sure that everything was in its place, ironing clothes, taking clothes home to wash and displaying the clothes to ensure our clients had a positive experience when they visited. She would drive all over Sydney collecting donations and approaching retailers and manufacturers for new clothes.

Jen has left us with a wonderful legacy - all our procedures are documented; our volunteers now have a clear process for finding appropriate clothes and for just getting in and doing a bit of sorting when they come to the Showroom to dress clients; and there are now a number of established teams who have accepted the responsibility of sorting and ironing so that our offerings are always well stocked, in good condition and well displayed.

 

Jen has, fortunately, remained as a volunteer, turning up every Tuesday to dress clients where she remains a very popular and friendly face for clients and volunteers alike.

 

Lyn Brentnall, our fabulous Wednesday dresser, has agreed to take on the position of Showroom Convenor and would welcome any volunteers who would like to be on her Showroom Committee.

 

Thank you Jen, for being such an important part of Dress for Success Sydney. 

 

 

Jacqui Ferris has been a volunteer with Dress for Success Sydney since the beginning. She has donated clothes, helped on market stalls, prepared and submitted grants and, most recently, led our Business Development.

 

Unfortunately, being a woman of many talents, Jacqui has had to relinquish her role on the Management Committee while she steers her new business through its early growth stages.

 

We are now poised to start our own Social Business which we hope will earn funds to support our free service. This move would not have been possible without the time and expertise Jacqui has devoted to develop a business strategy on which we are modelling this enterprise.

 

Jacqui continues to be involved with Dress for Success Sydney and is planning to be involved in our business development function once her time becomes a bit more flexible. Given her style, she may realistically be fitting her contributions into a very successful business.

 

Thank you Jacqui for your important contributions. We wish you every success in your new venture.