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Making a difference through volunteering

At just 23, Cire Reconnect client and FICE volunteer Bella O’Hara has a list of community involvements that would take most people a lifetime to achieve, plus the unwavering passion to match.

Her biggest motivator is her determination to advocate for people with a disability and those with mental health issues, especially men and young people.

“I have been so supported by so many people, I just want to give back as much as I can,’ said Bella, who needs extra learning support, a disability she once loathed but has now embraced so she can be her best self.

Bella’s community work was recently acknowledged in the 2022 Maroondah Youth Awards. She was part of the FReeZA Bassline Productions crew, who were honoured with the Team Award for their contributions to the art, music and cultural event management program.

The award nomination read: Bassline Productions met weekly in 2021 to design, plan and run live music and cultural events in their community. Due to COVID-19 lockdowns, the group was forced to continually innovate and persevere, resulting in some of the most creative event ideas in recent years. The group showed teamwork, collaborating to bring these events to life, while also supporting each other in the process. Character strengths demonstrated were creativity, perseverance, and social intelligence.

“It was so exciting to receive the award,” Bella said, adding that she loved meeting and working with others in the team to bring joy and happiness into the lives of others, particularly after the harsh Covid lockdowns and restrictions.

With such an inspiring approach to life and service to the community, it is little wonder that Cire is privileged to have such an inspiring young woman as part of its Reconnect program and helping out at First Impressions Clothing Exchange, unwittingly showing leadership through her service to others, contributing to community and advocacy.

Already a confident young woman with a belief in herself when she “discovered” Cire, Bella said programs like Reconnect and FICE had helped put her on a positive pathway to employment and relevant skills.

“I feel much more confident about what the future holds,” said Bella, who has shared her Cire experience in the following interview with her Reconnect case worker Sarah Kilgour as well as with FICE co-ordinator Renee Cooke in the most recent FICE newsletter.

A young woman who has the courage to create her own opportunities, Bella would love to work in disability or retail and, through whatever she does, tell the story about having a disability.

“If you have a disability, live life in the moment and don’t ever give up… I don’t look like I have a disability, I am a very slow learner and need extra support, but  I am very independent…I used to dislike my disability, but I now embrace it, not fight it. It is so important to find the right support and a good support agency and to believe in yourself”.

Click here for further information about Cire’s Volunteer Program.

 

FICE perfect fit for volunteer Trisha

Volunteering at Cire’s First Impressions Clothing Exchange at Yarra Junction has proven to be a perfect fit for Trisha Rowe.
It has given her an unexpected and most welcome new “lease of life” – so much so that she is keen to share her experience and encourage others to consider using their spare time to contribute to their community.

People like Trisha make it possible for Cire Services to reach out to those who need assistance throughout the Yarra Ranges and beyond. They contribute thousands of volunteer hours each year to support Cire programs and services, particularly FICE at Yarra Junction and Mooroolbark and Cire Community Hubs at Yarra Junction and Chirnside Park.
In the following interview, Trisha from Yarra Junction shares her FICE journey to date.

How did you first become involved with Cire and (FICE) First Impressions clothing exchange?
After retiring, I gradually lost motivation; I knew it would be too late if I didn’t do something soon. I needed to do something for myself; my general health and mental health were starting to suffer. I saw the volunteer board out the front of Cire, so I popped into the hub and was greeted by the bubbly and very friendly Nicole; she told me all about FICE. I also wanted to brush up on my knowledge of computers and technology. I later met Renee, and before long, I was on my way.
What makes this program special?

When I first walked in the door, Nicole, the Yarra Junction Community Hub customer service officer, told me about Cire and FICE. I was hesitant and thought I would come back later, but thought – no, I’m going to do this! Everybody I have met through the hub and FICE has given me something, just talking to people, interacting and laughing; when I walk out of FICE and the hub, I feel really good.

How has the program supported you with your personal goals?
I have some health issues, and some days I struggle to get out of bed and the house, but volunteering at FICE, attending tech hub classes and now becoming a part of the craft group, I now have a purpose. This has allowed me to challenge and push myself within my own personal boundaries and feel supported and encouraged along the way.

How important was this additional support in your success?
Everyone at FICE and Yarra Junction Community Hub has been so supportive. Nicole is just this bubbly warm person who genuinely cares. Raymond is gorgeous, and Cohen in Tech Hub is so helpful too. The hugs you get if you’re not feeling the best, well, they are the best. The team at Cire really listen and value your opinion. I’m taken for who and what I am.

Any last words on the FICE program?
Just do it; you’ve got nothing to lose. I’ve gained more myself personally from coming here weekly. The ladies that come here to shop, we talk and laugh. It’s the best thing as everyone is so lovely and friendly. FICE and Cire fill the void that was there.

Click here to learn more about volunteering at FICE.

FICE launched at Yarra Junction

Cire’s First Impressions Clothing Exchange (FICE) has opened its doors at Yarra Junction to support local women, and ultimately their families and communities.

Located at Cire’s Community Hub, FICE aims to empower women to work towards brighter futures by helping them achieve their personal and employment goals.

FICE is a retail training space that offers much more than a traditional shop, by mentoring and preparing women for pathways such as personal development, study and employment, as well as a trusted support network.

YJ FICE also offers quality and affordable women’s clothing suitable for everyday wear, interviews, or more formal occasions.

Our team focuses on reconnecting women with the community, building pathways that are tailored to individual needs like future independence and goal setting, identifying transferable skills to new industries, interview preparation and job readiness, and empowerment and confidence building.

FICE is thrilled to be supporting women in the outer reaches of the Yarra Valley and has already been generously welcomed and supported by the local community with donations being dropped off before we even opened our doors. There has been a lot of interest with people stopping by to peer through our window at our gorgeous range of clothing and accessories. Comments like, “I can’t believe how many nice things you have.”, “Beautiful quality.“, and “Are these really second hand?” is a testament to the wonderful items so generously donated by the community.

Integral to FICE opening its doors was a wonderful and very generous donation of shop fittings, mannequins, clothing and accessories from former shop owner Penny Gravias from Dekoda boutique in Eltham. After many successful years in retail Penny decided it was time to close the doors of her women’s clothing boutique. Fortunately, she had heard about FICE through Cire’s Chief Executive Officer, Gus Seremetis, and kindly offered to help fit out our new space. FICE coordinator Renee Cooke met Penny at her shop and loaded up the items that she no longer needed but didn’t want to end up in land-fill. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect and aligns perfectly with FICE’s ethos of recycling fashion and sustainability.

The FICE space at Yarra Junction has truly come alive as an inviting place to shop, browse, pick up a bargain, have a friendly chat with staff and volunteers and even learn more about the Community Hub and other Cire services throughout the region. A sincere thank you to Penny and her act of generosity in helping make the dream of a YJ FICE become a reality.

YJ FICE is open Monday to Friday from 9 to 5pm, simply enter through the pink door.

Work experience and volunteer opportunities are now available at both FICE locations at Yarra Junction and Mooroolbark

Donations of good quality women’s clothing are accepted at FICE Yarra Junction, and Mooroolbark, Chirnside Park Community Hub and Cire’s Lilydale office. Please leave donations during office hours so Cire can thank you personally.

Finds us:

@firstimpresssionsclothingexchange on Facebook

@firstimpressionsclothes on Instagram

Email: firstimpressions@cire.or.au

 

 

FICE goes mobile

Cire Training’s First Impressions Clothing Exchange (FICE) has gone mobile with the launch of a pop-up roadshow to connect with even more women in the region who would benefit from the FICE experience.

FICE goes mobileThanks to a Yarra Ranges Council 2021 Community Grant, FICE is reaching out to women who may otherwise find it a challenge to visit the Mooroolbark shop to access affordable quality clothing and, equally important, a range of support services and the opportunity to connect with others.

Cire’s Yarra Junction Community Hub hosted the first pop up event on Wednesday 28 April with others to follow at the Healesville Living and Learning Centre on Wednesday 12 May, Selby Community House on Wednesday 26 May and Warburton Redwood Centre on Tuesday 8 June.

The Yarra Junction event created much interest with its high visibility set up on the pavement outside the hub. Quite a few customers bought clothing and also received on-the-spot assistance through services such as resume writing.

FICE trainer Renee Cook (pictured) said it was great to see so much interest in FICE and to answer questions about the social enterprise which has gone from strength to strength since opening its shop front at Mooroolbark in mid-2019.

She also said there is now a permanent rack of FICE clothing for purchase at the Yarra Junction Hub. It will be refreshed regularly so spread the word. Donations can also be dropped off at the hub.

FICE emerged from Cire Training’s successful Women’s Warehouse program, BY long-term unemployed women in the Yarra Ranges region FOR local women experiencing financial disadvantage.

FICE is unique to our region with its innovative and bold approach to empowering women and fostering meaningful community engagement.

The initiative provides women with affordable quality clothing suitable for job interviews or other important occasions. However, the benefits go much deeper. Through volunteering in the shop, women gain a huge boost to their confidence and self-esteem, a sense of purpose and pride as well as a raft of skills sought by employees, particularly in the retail sector. The experience also provides pathways to other support services and referrals, training and potential employment opportunities.

The broader community has enthusiastically embraced the project as volunteer mentors to assist the women on their journeys as well as donations. First Impressions participants have been touched by the random acts of kindness and help from strangers, seldom experienced before.

First Impressions is a real-life training space, mentoring women to stand tall by preparing them for employment. Experienced trainers provide ongoing support to instil confidence and develop the skills necessary in the paid workforce, and transferable between jobs, as well as overall support. Some of the tangible benefits include project management/store management/retail skills/merchandising, sewing, design, and customer service/communication.

Of significance, Cire is looking forward to renewing its work-for-the dole partnership with local job provider, Employment Plus, in the not too distant future. Volunteers gain recognition for their hands-on work experience as well as access to lifelong employability skills, assisting the transition toward sustainable employment.

FICE supporters include Yarra Ranges Shire Council, Voices of Women (VoW), a not-for-profit organisation based in the Yarra Valley that provides advocacy for women in the region, the Australian Women Donors Network, Good360 and L’Oreal and the Commonwealth Bank.

Runaway success for FICE Fashion Show

A sell-out fashion show on 12 February was the perfect event to celebrate a runaway first 12 months for Cire’s First Impressions Clothing Exchange (FICE).

An enthusiastic crowd of more than 50 women gathered for the fun at FICE’s Mooroolbark Terrace shop where they were treated to a taste of the quality fashion on offer as volunteer models gave it their all on the catwalk.

Everyone was on a high to have the opportunity to come together face-to-face to enjoy each other’s company as well as acknowledge the success of the social enterprise in helping provide women in need with positive pathways.

Local traders were also ecstatic because the event created such an exciting and most welcome vibe at The Terrace.

The event featured six volunteers modelling casual, business and formal outfits and stories of how FICE had given them a sense of purpose and confidence and helped them upskill and/or find employment.

Special guests included the multi-talented Kerrie Stanley, makeup artist for ABC Breakfast Television and award-winning milliner and who is also working on the production of Harry Potter, the Musical in Melbourne. Kerrie shared some of her make up tips with those present. Other special guests included Cr Sophie Todorov from Yarra Ranges Council, Alexandra Hale, owner and director of Johnstone and Reimer Lawyers, one of FICE’s gold-level sponsors, and Cire CEO Gus Seremetis.

FICE emerged from Women’s Warehouse, a Cire Training initiative. It is the brainchild of long-term unemployed women in the Yarra Ranges for women experiencing financial disadvantage.  FICE offers access to affordable clothing suitable for job interviews and other important occasions and equally important, the opportunity to upskill by volunteering in the shop and through mentoring and additional training and support networks and referrals.

Those at the recent first birthday fashion show learned about the growing community support and acknowledgement for FICE and its mission. Women throughout the Yarra Ranges have supported the shop from day one with donations of quality clothing. This gives other women, not normally able to access such quality items, the opportunity to purchase them at a much lower price and help boost their self-esteem.

The fashion show was made possible by a grant from Yarra Ranges Council which has also awarded funding for a mobile FICE service in more isolated communities this year. Last year FICE received a $10,000 grant from the Commonwealth Bank to assist with operating costs.

Other supporters include Good360 and Lilydale Big W and Bunnings.

Bunnings Lilydale donated lucky door prizes for the fashion show and all those who attended received a handbag donated by Big W Lilydale filled with other donated goodies.

A huge thank you to all our volunteers and models (Mary, Sarah, Karon, Maryanne, Donna and Tammi).

Like to know more, visit the FICE webpage

The First Impressions Clothing Exchange Grand Opening!

The First Impressions Clothing Exchange is a bright and colourful second-hand store adding joy and laughter to the Mooroolbark Terrace Shopping Centre. A dazzling array of clothing racks, laden with hidden treasures, welcome those who stumble across the First Impressions shop-front.

On Valentine’s Day, visitors to their grand opening event included Mayor Cr Richard Higgins, who stopped by to cut the ribbon and meet the team!

Operating as a small business run by women experiencing long-term unemployment, First Impressions builds on the skills of its volunteer staff to enhance their employability in addition to providing opportunities to connect with their peers and with the community. Run as part of Cire Training’s Small Business course, experienced trainers oversee the day-to-day operations of the store. At the same time, the dedicated training space helps women to build real-life experience, develop skills and gain the confidence needed to enter the workforce successfully.

For customers, the clothing exchange offers a selection of quality, affordable women’s clothing covering every occasion from casual wear to formal events! First Impressions also provide a hire service, with reasonably priced items available for those who need a short-term wardrobe for job interviews or new jobs.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Mayor Higgins noted that “the crowd here today validates the importance of this service to local women”. With attendees from multiple local organisations, including Anchor Housing Support and Employment Plus, as well as customers, shop owners, volunteers and supporters, the community truly showed their support for this wonderful initiative. Mayor Higgins also mentioned- with a note of relief! – that his wife was combing her wardrobe to make a donation of her own.

The event hosted numerous speakers, including Donna Fairweather of the Yarra Ranges Council, a newly appointed ambassador for the store and Gus Seremetis, CEO of Cire Services, the main sponsor of the First Impressions Clothing Exchange program. Gus was so moved by the testimonials of the women involved that she generously extended Cire’s financial support, providing a further three months of funding.

One of those testimonials came from Karon, a program participant, who shared her moving story with the audience. When asked how many job applications she’d submitted prior to her time with First Impressions, she responded: “there were too many to count”. After years of being ignored and rejected, her involvement with the program, along with the support she received from Employment Plus, rebuilt her self-confidence.

This enabled Karon to move into paid employment successfully. However, she still heads down to the First Impressions Clothing Exchange several days per week, to visit with her newfound friends, browse the racks and to help with the store’s operations.

“It was a huge feat, and it was all hands on deck,” the store’s team leader, Renee Cooke of Cire Services, said about getting the shop up and running, “But it’s been so much fun too. This shop has made such a difference already in the lives of those who have created it, and we can’t wait to see what it’s future holds!”

For more updates on First Impressions, feel free to follow their Facebook page and Instagram account.