Written by Celine Louie
Walking into Sam Packer’s garage, you may be right to wonder if she has a secret clothes hoarding addiction. Packed full with clothes on racks, in boxes and bags all waiting to be washed and sorted, the loaded washing machine on spin throughout most of the day, and a full washing line to boot, Sam smiles at the organised chaos. Whilst there are a myriad of ways to donate to charity, in a roundabout way this is part of her contribution to making a difference in our local community, and she loves it.
As it turns out, Sam is following in her friend’s footsteps; this has all been done before.
Enter Chelsie Dolfin, a motivated mum with a passion for creating positive change in not only the lives of her family, but in her community. She’s not a stranger to washing and sorting mountains of clothes, having organised her first Clothes Swap 4 Charity back in 2011.
Together these two ladies have banded their strengths together and are currently in the throes of organizing the 5th of these events.
It was during a conversation a few months ago that they both felt the call to help the community and do something that will bring people together joyfully. They decided the time had come to resurrect the clothes swap event, this time raising funds for the local organisation, Yoorana, who provide much needed support for local woman and children in domestic violence situations.
Sadly the statistics show that 1 in 4 women may find themselves in a DV situation, and as the clothes swap is focused around empowering woman, Yoorana was a fitting choice to donate the proceeds raised.
Chelsie had seen firsthand how amazing Yoorana was, as they had recently provided the support to help a close family member escape a violent relationship. Being a Fraser Coast organisation meant that all the hard work they put in to raising funds for Yoorana, would directly benefit the woman of our community. Keeping it local is an important aspect of the clothes swap this year.
It takes many months of hard work in the lead up to the event; however Chelsie and Sam are not deterred, spending all their spare time making it happen. Along with the help of a team of volunteers the event is shaping up to be the biggest ever, with an aim to raise over $20,000 for Yoorana.
There is currently a call out for donations of good quality women’s and girls clothing, accessories and shoes. Donations received will be exchanged for tokens that can be used to buy more clothing on the night. Then there are the much needed local sponsors who are getting involved donating financially, or offering items or services to be auctioned off.
Judging by previous events, the night will no doubt be a sell-out success, as women get to dress up and gather for a night of fun with their friends at the Brolga theatre. There will be a fashion parade, silent auction, a live band, raffle, grazing platters and after a few wines with the girls, much fun to be had on the 360 degree video platform. Oh and did I mention clothes shopping? This night really has it all.
So lock in the 6th of April 2024, and get ready to book a table for a girl’s night out to remember – tickets will be available through the Brolga Theatre shortly.
There is still a need for more sponsors, so if you are a local business owner and would like to give back whilst receiving some great exposure, you have until 28th February to pledge your support.
For all the info on how you can get involved head to the ‘Clothes Swap 4 Charity Fraser Coast’ Facebook page.