Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

On Saturday afternoon, my wife, Rachel, and I had the absolute pleasure of attending the First Impressions Clothing Exchange fundraiser. It was a high tea and a fashion show. It was a wonderful afternoon, with over 100 locals there to celebrate that amazing community but also, importantly, to raise funds. FICE supports and empowers unemployed women, and what's most impactful about FICE is the people behind this community. It was wonderful to hear Sarah's story, and it took courage for her to share her story and stand up in front of that crowd. Also, at the launch in Lilydale earlier this year, I had the pleasure of hearing Trish's story, Bella's story and also Maria's story—amazing women. They talked about the sense of community that came through FICE and the opportunities. In particular, Bella is now in employment, and she wouldn't be in employment without the work of FICE.

To Renee and the team at Cire and FICE, thank you for everything you do for our community. It was a great day where our community came together. The Lilydale Rotary club, who are always there serving and looking after those in need, did the catering to make sure that the fundraiser was a stunning success. There were many raffles. Lots of small businesses in our community are doing it tough, but they rallied to support Renee and the team at FICE because they know how important it is to empower people throughout our community, particularly older women who are unemployed and vulnerable. FICE are looking to solve that problem at the grassroots—at the individual level. They're making a difference and changing lives, and I'm proud to be able to support them.