Bargain hunters line up early at Food For Fashion charity event

5 Sept, 2022

Northern Helping Hands hosted a popular Food For Fashion event on August 27 at the Wellsford District Community Centre, the entire hall jam packed with high-quality children’s and adult’s clothing and accessories. The idea? To swap a non-perishable grocery item for clothing.

Eager ‘shoppers’ were lining up from 9.30am (it opened at 10am) to find the best items and get a new wardrobe. Stacks of generous food donations had to be cleared from the foyer regularly.

Event organiser Natalie Gamble was very pleased with the attendance, 300 throughout the day, and went and bought more kai to share with the community.

Northern Helping Hands’ Chelsea Harris was a superstar in the kitchen with her pizzas and butter chicken.

“I am so proud of the admin team and the fantastic job they did here today,” said Libby Clews, Northern Helping Hands leading admin. “Natalie saw the idea and only took one comment from me and she was full steam ahead. She and Chelsea are rising stars in the community, look out for them.”

There was a set-up crew that worked tirelessly the day before the event, putting all the clothing on racks and tables. Natalie had been collecting clothes for months and sorting them with working bees at home. She is looking into buying a container for next time.

Multiple spot prizes were drawn after the event with a major prize of a night at an Airbnb.

Amongst all the chatter and laughter, happy pickers left with new clothes. Leftover clothes will be shipped to Vanuatu. Food parcels will be gifted over the next few weeks.

Natalie is keen to do another Food For Fashion early next year, meanwhile she’s grateful to all the volunteers that sorted, set up and helped on the day. A real community effort.

Around 300 clothing fanatics swapped food for fashion at the recent food-raiser organised by Northern Helping Hands. PHOTO/SUPPLIED