I am waiting for Sam Oakes, the founder of The Formal Project, to return from a run to a bridal shop to pick up some dresses when Minto Mall centre manager Michael Prestia pops in.
“This is just incredible,’’ he says pointing to the sea of racks with smart dresses and suits and shoes in this warehouse space Minto Mall has provided to Sam and her partner Chelle to run this incredible new charity.
“This area is just the most generous community anywhere,’’ Mr Prestia says before taking his leave.
A few minutes later Sam Oakes, walks in, offering apologies for being late for the interview.
There was no need: with more than 1,000 local students looking to The Formal Project to dress them to their graduation farewells this year, an interview with a journo pales into insignificance.
Ms Oakes, who lives with Chelle at their Ruse home, explains how this phenomenon started back in 2020.
“We just had a family friend ask me to borrow a dress, for her formal, and I loaned her a dress,’’ Ms Oakes said.
“A week later she came back with a friend who needed to borrow a dress, and I loaned her another dress, and I looked at Chelle and said: something’s happening here.’’
Unfortunately, the pandemic intervened and the project was put on the backburner.
But when Ms Oakes brought it back in this year, it just took off like wildfire.
All students graduating in 2023 are eligible to access the clothes they need to wear to their formal.
There are no questions asked – all they have to do is make a booking to be fitted out, and everything they get is free.
That’s because the other side of the equation: donations of formal clothes, has also been a huge success.
“We do need more young boys’ suits,’’ Ms Oakes says when I ask her what she could do more of in terms of donations from the community.
Naturally my next question is how does she manage such a huge undertaking, while still working for a living.
“It’s a full time job, times every volunteer,” she responds.
“People just drop in and ask: do you want me to do anything.’’
One of those volunteers is Minto Heights resident Liz, pictured above (left) with Sam, who helped out at the bridal shop run the morning I was there for the interview.
“I am still working, so I am balancing this, my family and work,’’ says Ms Oakes.
“There is a lot of appreciation from the families we help, a lot of tears, a lot of smiles, a lot of laughs.
“I’m hoping we don’t get a break, and this rolls over to bigger things such as job assistance, interview assistance and preparation, skills training, work experience etc.
“I’ll keep going until I retire.’’
