24 Apr 2025
How Thread Together Is Empowering Communities Through Fashion
Thread Together is transforming fashion excess into opportunity. Through charity partnerships and corporate volunteering, they are empowering communities across Australia.
24 Apr 2025
Thread Together is transforming fashion excess into opportunity. Through charity partnerships and corporate volunteering, they are empowering communities across Australia.
Catalyser
Earlier this month, we hosted a webinar on corporate volunteering where Thread Together CEO, Anthony Chesler shared powerful insights on how purpose-led partnerships are redefining what it means to give back.
Thread Together’s mission feels especially resonant during Fashion Revolution Week, a time when the world is asked to look beyond the labels and into the lives touched by fashion.
With nearly 30% of all clothing produced globally going unsold and destined for landfill, the gap between fashion excess and human need is stark. Thread Together interrupts this cycle by diverting 1.7 million units of brand-new clothing from landfill in the past year and delivering them to people who need it most.
By redistributing fashion’s surplus, Thread Together restores dignity and confidence.
“We solve two complex problems: diversion of new clothing from landfill, and clothing insecurity,” says CEO, Anthony Chesler. “And we do it through partnerships that are powered by people.”
Thread Together is a national charity that redirects brand-new, unsold clothing from fashion brands to people experiencing vulnerability, including:
Thread Together is built on purpose-driven partnerships with fashion brands, community organisations, and businesses. Together, they are building a distribution network that turns excess into empowerment.
Thread Together’s wide reaching impact:
Thread Together operates with a powerful, scalable model:
At Thread Together, corporate volunteering is more than a team-building day. Over the past year, more than 6,000 volunteers supported Thread Together’s mission, with many participating through corporate teams. It offers a firsthand look at social impact in action that leaves employees feeling energised, connected, and aligned with their company’s purpose.
“Volunteering is not just doing good—it’s a powerful connector of teams, values, and community purpose,” says Anthony. “To attract and retain volunteers—and send back into the workforce a more engaged employee—you need to offer a great experience”
They sort, pick, and pack brand-new clothing donations in the warehouse, helping to prepare items for people experiencing vulnerabilities. Businesses that experience it firsthand often return, bringing colleagues, clients, and even suppliers. The ripple effect strengthens internal culture and deepens external relationships.
At Thread Together, volunteering is carefully curated:
“It’s like crossing an F45 session with a purpose project,” Anthony jokes. “It’s physical, it’s emotional, it’s real.”
The atmosphere is intentionally uplifting, where hands-on action is matched by real world impact and stories. Corporate volunteers will walk away feeling more connected to the cause.
“We’ve arranged a food truck… there’s a DJ… and it’s a warehouse party. It’s high energy, high output, and high engagement. There’s always high empathy as well.” says Anthony
While one-off corporate volunteering sessions provide an energising introduction to purpose-driven engagement, Anthony describes them as "sugar hits,” that are short bursts of feel-good impact that spark curiosity.
“People leave feeling great and that's a powerful start. But it’s what happens next that matters most,” says Anthony. “The companies that stick around do so because they see the bigger picture. They want to grow with us.”
Sustainable impact emerges when partners move from participating to co-designing. That’s when purpose becomes shared and the results speak for themselves.
“When there’s alignment, we can be flexible, responsive, and bold together. That’s when we know we’re in partnership, not just in process,” he adds.
This mindset leads naturally to what Anthony calls the power of "fewer, deeper partnerships" rooted in shared purpose and mutual growth.
Thread Together’s model isn’t about scale for scale’s sake. It’s about meaningful, values-aligned business and charity partnerships that create lasting results.
So what makes a business the right fit as a partner?
Ideal partners approach collaboration with consistency, humility, and a willingness to contribute beyond a day of service. The strongest partnerships build over time through regular engagement, logistics support, and a shared belief in sustainable social impact.
“We’re not looking for the biggest names, we’re looking for organisations that see social impact as integral to their culture,” Anthony explains. “Those who invest their time, their people, their ideas.”
This Fashion Revolution Week and beyond, your company can step into something bigger:
Through Catalyser or directly with Thread Together, you can:
“A good partner for us is values-aligned,” says Anthony. “It’s not about size—it’s about commitment.”
Thread Together proves that fashion can be more than trends. It can be a force for dignity, sustainability, and systemic change.
This week, as the world questions fashion’s impact, your company can join the movement that’s been living the answer for over a decade.
Volunteer. Partner. Amplify.
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