CafeSmart is a major national campaign built on the energy and commitment of the coffee industry around Australia. It unites the community over our favourite brew to help fund local homeless services through the donation of $1 from every coffee sold at participating cafés.
Homelessness affects all communities and is one of the most pressing social issues we face today and we want to do something to change this. That is why (your café) will be raising funds on Friday August 9th during National Homelessness Week.
According to 2016 Census data, on any given night, around 116,000 people in Australia are without a safe and secure place to call home. The situation is dire, with older women the fastest growing cohort, many finding themselves homeless for the first time. The housing system is broken, and homelessness can happen to anyone. Despite the growing critical need, many homelessness services are underfunded or have lost funding.
On the 9th August hundreds of small businesses all over Australia, with their customers, will team up to raise funds. Locally raised donations will be pooled and direct them back into local services that are delivering frontline services, many of which have little public funding to sustain their work. These are services that are serving up hot meals, putting roofs over people’s heads, and working hard towards long term solutions to the crisis.
“We know we have a homelessness crisis in Australia and CafeSmart shows that the public want that to change and do their bit to help. With over 600 cafes signed up we have a great opportunity to help fund smaller homeless services on the frontline. I’d encourage everyone to find a local participating café and enjoy a brew or two knowing that a local homeless service will benefit. If you haven’t a local then you can donate the value of a coffee through our website.” – Adam Robinson – CEO, StreetSmart Australia.
CafeSmart is a major national campaign of StreetSmart Australia, and is all about community responses to homelessness. This year’s aim is to put $250,000, in new funding, back into the sector.
Coffee lovers can find a participating café in their local hood on a google map here.
Those who want to help but can’t get to a café can donate here.
For interview opportunities with Geoff Hills, StreetSmart Chief of Fundraising and Operations, images or further information about the projects and the local impact, please call 0428 909 097
StreetSmart was founded in 2003 to support and strengthen smaller, grassroots community organisations helping the homeless. These smaller organisations are critical in helping many people in crisis. StreetSmart has raised and distributed $5.6million to support over 600 organisations.
