A mobile wardrobe rolled into to Meli’s Malop St carpark this week giving young people an opportunity to select brand new clothing at no cost.
Clothing rescue charity Thread Together teamed up with Meli’s Youth Services to provide the unique pop-up “shopping” experience. About 30 young people were able to browse and select from a range of t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, caps and sunglasses, with the help of a team of fashion-savvy volunteers.
“At Thread Together, we exist to manage fashion excess, and the best way to do that is by giving the clothing that we save from landfill to people who need it,” said Thread Together’s Abby MacAllin during the Meli visit.
She said the organisation started “very, very small” almost 12 years ago but was now operating nationally and hoping to establish a more permanent presence in Geelong.
Thread Together collects unsold or end-of-line new clothing from fashion retailers and provides it to people in need, tapping into a network of organisations such as Meli to help distribute the clothing.
“Demand is growing, unfortunately,” Abby said. “The cost of living is having an effect on that, but we are growing too and we have more and more fashion donors joining us,” she said.
Manager of Youth Services Zak Davidson said Meli Youth Services had been working with Thread Together for about a year.
“It’s Incredibly important for young people to be able to dress in a way that represents their true self,” he said.
“Thread Together provides contemporary, ‘cool’ clothes that resonate with the young people we support. It’s such a joy to see them light up as they choose clothing when they come in to meet with their workers. This collaboration not only helps young people look and feel good but also nurtures a greater sense of personal pride.”
Zak said he was keen to see the service expand to reach more of Meli’s clients.
“Today we have about 30 young people coming through the mobile wardrobe event but on any given day we can be supporting many more young people than that, so to provide that opportunity to all of our young people would be phenomenal,” he said.
“With Meli Youth Services supporting young people through more than a dozen programs like Housing, Crisis Accommodation, Homelessness, Justice, Education, AoD, Mental Health, Leaving Care, and Youth Entry Point, this event adds another layer of support. It’s a laid-back space where young people can hang out, connect with others, and grab what they need—all while feeling more a part of the community.”
Geelong Community Foundation CEO Amy Waters visited the Meli event to see first-hand how the organisation’s funding is supporting the growth of Thread Together’s services in Geelong.
The Thread Together mobile clothing van also visited Geelong’s Outpost and Cultura this week.
Thread Together is working towards having a permanent mobile clothing van and distribution hub based in Geelong.
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