Dress for Success Breakfast Fundraiser

(PR.co.nz) Hundreds of commuters in downtown Auckland got ‘nood’ for a good cause raising thousands of dollars in cash and donated clothing for charity Dress for Success.

Dress for Success – a charity that helps women enter the workforce by providing clothing, styling and mentoring services – joined forces with cereal manufacturer Sanitarium to help raise money for thousands of job-seeking Kiwi women.

The charitable campaign saw Aucklanders offered breakfast, in exchange for an item of clothing or gold coin donation at the Naturally Nood pop up cafe, with all proceeds going to Dress for Success.

An international not-for-profit organisation that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and mentoring services, Dress For Success has helped more than 850,000 women in 150 cities around the globe since being formed in 1997.

“We are passionate about empowering women with self-confidence so they can secure employment,” says Dress for Success spokesperson Brian Meredith. “We believe that every woman empowered by employment represents a family helped towards financial independence, ultimately leading to thriving communities.”

In New Zealand, Dress for Success Auckland is dedicated to changing the lives of over 1500 women each year. At least 52% of the women the charity works with succeed in securing employment.

The charity offers women seeking to enter the workforce a “wrap-around service” that helps them feel confident and prepared for job interviews. The service includes a one-on-one consultation with a trained volunteer stylist providing a complete interview outfit and make-up and styling. It also includes access to programmes and resources designed to enhance career prospects.

Sanitarium executive general manager Pierre van Heerden says the company is proud to support the worthy cause.

“Dress for Success makes a difference to the lives of many Kiwi women and their families and we are honoured to be able to help them further their work with this new campaign,” he says.

To learn more about Dress For Success and read about some of the women it has helped visit http://dressforsuccessauckland.org.nz/who-we-are/