Over the last few years Joblink Plus employees have gained a reputation around town. Yes - we won the Tamworth Business Chamber Employer of Choice Award two years ago and we’ve placed over 24,000 people into work since July 2015, but it’s our reputation for a dress up that seems to stick. Be it for April Fool’s Day, Christmas or Australia Day, when we run a community engagement day we just love looking a bit silly for the cause.
This week we’ve been raising money for The Uplift Project, who take your pre-loved and unwanted bras and donate them to developing communities and women in need, both here in Australia and further afield to communities in Fiji, Kashmir, Philippines and Papua New Guinea (to name a few). This is important work because affordable bras that are comfortable and come in the right size are like hen’s teeth in the developing world.
Women who are doing home, field and factory work in hot and humid climates need the health, hygiene and dignity that a properly fitted bra made of breathable fabric brings. Women who are breastfeeding children and have access to functional bras can leave the home and not have to worry about leaks. For many women it’s the kind of problem that doesn’t get talked about much, but when the problem is solved, life is that much better for the whole family.
Donating a bra and donating money to get the bra where it needs to be is a small gesture with big results. For Joblink Plus it’s not too much of a stretch to see the links to the kind of work we do every day. As well as a ‘bra-BQ’ this week Joblink Plus has started delivering ParentsNext across three regions of NSW. It’s a pre-employment program for parents ready to work after raising children. One member of a family gaining sustainable employment has enormous impact on the whole family, and when that family member is a parent the results can bring generational change. We’re here to connect people to the dignity and fulfilment made possible through education and meaningful work and if we can have some fun while we do it, all the better.
We do serious work, but we’ve learned not to take ourselves too seriously. Invariably on these community engagement days our staff are walking the main street and on the phone to local employers, sharing good news, information about government incentives and offering to ‘help find the right fit.’ We’re here to offer support. To lift up the community. See what I did there? We’re not above a dress up, or a pun, for a really great uplifting cause.
Emily Roy is the Executive Manager for Community Partnerships with Joblink Plus. For more information on the Uplift Project: www.upliftbras.org
