Celebrities will be balancing plates and clearing tables in a move to help desperate job hunters get interview-ready by kitting them out in new gear.
Singer Lizzie Marvelly, actor Oliver Driver, musician and jewellery designer Boh Runga and radio DJ Charlotte Ryan are among the celebrities who have signed up to be waiters for a night for charity at a Dress for Success black-tie dinner. They are also expected to host a table and entertain guests, with Driver the MC and Marvelly performing.
Dress for Success executive director Lani French wants to raise between $50,0000 and $60,000 so the organisation can keep helping 1500 women get back into the workforce by styling them, gratis, with everything from shoes to clothing to handbags.
The service, which has 110 volunteer stylists, is only for women who cannot afford an interview outfit. They are referred by one of 300 bodies including Work and Income, Citizens Advice Bureau, education providers and recruitment firms. The women must also be applying for jobs or have an interview lined up.
The gear is mainly new and donated from private collections and corporate sponsors. Between 75 and 78 per cent of the women who use the services of Dress for Success' Mt Eden office secure jobs.
