Aucklanders invited to Spring clean and support Dress for Success
BOTANY TOWN CENTRE AND LYNNMALL SHOPPING CENTRE INVITE LOCAL COMMUNITY TO
SPRING CLEAN AND SUPPORT DRESS FOR SUCCESS
The arrival of spring revives the age-old tradition of spring cleaning – scrubbing and tidying the house from top to bottom, including the crucial task of weeding out unwanted clothes from wardrobes and drawers to make room for new seasonal purchases.
This spring, Botany Town Centre and LynnMall Shopping Centre invite women to make good use of those nearly new/gently used clothes by donating them to a charity dedicated to supporting working women. In launching its campaign from September 1, Botany Town Centre and LynnMall Shopping Centre have become the first official Dress for Success drop-off points in East and West Auckland.
Dress for Success helps women in need to get jobs and keep working by providing clothes and advice to boost their self-esteem and independence. Lavinia Touna, a former client of the not-for-profit organization, has a success story that encapsulates the work Dress for Success does in the community.
Thirty-one-year-old Lavinia was on the DPB with two young children for two years before she was referred to Dress for Success. Thanks to the clothing and support she received from the team, Lavinia has now been in the workforce for six weeks and says she “loves every minute of it! My goal is to have financial stability for myself and my children, and I’m driven by the ambition to provide a better future for them.”
Lavinia attributes her new found confidence and independence to the help and support from Dress for Success. “The people there were great – they provided not only practical help but emotional support as well. When you have been a beneficiary, you need guidance, not judgement, to give you the confidence to take the steps that get you back into the workforce.”
Jennifer Manning, Senior Centre Manager said, “We are excited to be supporting Dress for Success in the great work it does for women. It’s an important organization that, in helping women, ultimately strengthens New Zealand families, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to bring wider attention to it.”
Each year, thousands of New Zealand women like Lavinia attempt to enter the workforce after time spent raising their children, or being unemployed. Launching into the job market requires confidence, and Dress for Success helps build this in women by giving them work-appropriate clothes and advice on job interviews.
To provide its services, Dress for Success relies on donations of clothing from Auckland women. From September, Botany Town Centre and LynnMall Shopping Centre will be collecting nearly new and gently used clothing. Drop-off points for clothing will be located at Botany Town Centre’s Visitors Centre near Farmers and LynnMall Shopping Centre’s Information Kiosk.
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About Botany Town Centre
Situated approximately 19km southeast of Auckland, Botany Town Centre is one of New Zealand’s largest retail developments, with more than 150 specialty, fashion and lifestyle stores. Its retailers range from Dick Smith Electronics to Rebel Sports and a full complement of banks, fashion stores, and New Zealand’s most popular café and restaurant chains. The centre includes one of Auckland’s largest Farmers stores and a New World supermarket, and diverse entertainment choices from the Circle Lounge at Berkeley Cinema to Flight Experience, the flight simulator. In addition to its retail offering, Botany Town Centre is a community hub for other services including Botany Library, the Community Constable, and a variety of medical and health providers.
About LynnMall Shopping Centre
LynnMall has more than 120 specialty stores. The centre is situated in New Lynn, West Auckland and is a short drive from Auckland’s CBD. LynnMall caters to all needs and interests, with major retailers including Foodtown, Farmers, JB HI-FI, Bond and Bond, Noel Leeming, Postie+, Stirling Sports, LynnMall Lollipops Educare and Whitcoulls.