A Community Ball With a Practical Purpose: Helping Locals Step Into Work

As the year winds down and homes are cleared out for the holiday season, many people will uncover business clothes they no longer use. Instead of letting them gather dust, those unworn shirts, jackets, skirts or shoes could make a real difference to someone preparing for a new job. That’s the idea behind the Work-Ready Op Shop Ball, a collaborative community event being held on 1 May 2026 to support job seekers across the Fraser Coast.

Consider decluttering over the holiday season, consider putting aside any business-appropriate clothing you no longer wear. That unworn blazer, skirt, or long-sleeve shirt could help someone walk into an interview feeling prepared and proud.

Regional Development Australia Wide Bay Burnett is working with local employment agencies and the Fraser Coast Regional Council’s Job Ready Program to bring a new community event to life: The Work-Ready Op Shop Ball, to be held on 1 May 2026. The idea behind the night is to encourage people to attend the event with any business or work appropriate clothes they no longer need and donates on the night, making it easier for job seekers to walk into an interview or a new role with confidence and dressed for success!

The timing is deliberate. As the year winds down and we face our New Years resolutions head-on, it is a great time to clear out cupboards and de-clutter! Anyone doing a summer clean-out who finds business shirts, jackets, dresses or shoes they haven’t worn in years is encouraged to put them aside. These will soon be called on for donation and will go directly toward helping someone who is preparing to start work or hoping to secure an interview.

Local employment providers consistently report the same challenge: people want to work, but many simply cannot afford the right clothes to get started. Pauline Rees from the Jobs Ready Program put it plainly, saying they see a steady flow of people across the Fraser Coast who need this sort of support, which is why the idea for the Work-Ready Op Shop Ball has taken shape. She says business owners and managers also raise concerns about new starters or applicants turning up in clothing that doesn’t match the image they expect for their workplace. A simple jacket, a pair of shoes or a well-kept shirt can make the difference between someone being overlooked or stepping into the job they’ve been working hard to secure.

People who want to help can start now by freeing up wardrobe space and setting aside items that are still in good condition but haven’t been worn in a long time. Those dresses, shirts, trousers and shoes can become the reason someone gets a fair shot at employment. Donations can be dropped off early in the new year, and anyone wanting more details can contact Pauline by email at pauline.rees@frasercoast.qld.gov.au

The Work-Ready Op Shop Ball will be a fun, community-minded event supported by the Jobs Ready Program, Regional Development Australia, Bayside Transformations, IMPACT Community Services and the Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre. Everything collected on the night will be redirected to Bayside Transformations Op Shop, where it will be offered to those who need it. The aim is not only to help people look the part for their first day or their interview but to build an ongoing supply of work-ready clothing for the Fraser Coast.

Tickets will be released soon, but for now, if you’ve got work-appropriate clothing gathering dust, it might be exactly what someone else needs to make their start.

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