Baubles and Bubbles jewelry sale
News Release: Monday, April 25, 2016 | VICTORIA – A group of compassionate Victoria women have proven they can have fun, clean out their closets, and help other women at the same time.
The women raised more than $2,100 for the Wear2Start Society in one fun evening called Baubles and Bubbles that started with a simple ‘gem’ of an idea: hold a jewelry exchange among friends to make room for new fashionable items.
“We talked about how much stuff we all had, and thought we should do an exchange,” said Susan Bourjeaurd, who, along with friends Lori Nolt, Tara Hearn and Sue Bosdet, organized the event that took place earlier this month at a residence .
Nolt adds that when they recognized they could use the event to raise funds for a worthy cause, planning started in earnest. “Women are happy to help other women” and here the women got to have a fun evening and get their closets cleared out.
They chose Wear2Start as the organization they would support with proceeds from the event, which was attended by approximately 50 people.
“Contributions like these go a long way to furthering the work Wear2Start does to reduce barriers to success for women in need wanting to enter the workforce,” said Heidi Hartman, Wear2Start vice-president, who accepted the funding on behalf of president Joanie Hesketh.
Hartman also gave the friends an overview of the boutique operations when they delivered the funds and unsold accessories from the event.
The Wear2Start Society is a non-profit organization and registered charity that helps women, who have completed a job training program, make their best impressions in job interviews and the workplace by providing them with a wardrobe. Over the years, it has assisted thousands of women in need gain confidence and increased chances of employment through a more polished appearance.
Compassionate boutique specialists work with clients who are referred by partnering agencies specializing in job and skills training. Over the course of a two-hour consultation, a client is provided with wardrobe suitable for the workplace along with suggestions on how to continue to dress her best.
Run entirely by volunteers, Wear2Start relies on fundraising and donations of gently used clothing, shoes, and accessories suitable for the workplace. For information on how to donate clothing or funds, please see our Donate and How to Help pages.
Baubles and Bubbles organizers had these tips for organizing successful fundraiser:
- Organize a great team of women who have fun working together.
- Pass the word to everyone you know about what you are doing.
- Consider asking retail outlets if they will collect items for sale to make it easy for women to drop off items.
- Present sale items in a way that makes it easy to view.
- Keep things simple. There were only two prices for any item. (Women attending the event paid $20 to attend which included a refreshment and 10 tickets to apply to purchases of items priced either at 5 or 10 tickets.)
- Sell additional tickets if people want to purchase more things.
- Consider selling donated high-value items at a silent auction table.
- Make every woman feel special by creating a well-attended ‘check-out’ experience that includes careful wrapping of purchases.
- Most important, enjoy the companionship of women helping women.
For further information, please contact the Wear2Start Society, 250-472-9327 (please leave a voice mail) or email programmanager@wear2start.com.