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Supporting Jobs, Building Community, and Distributing 259,665 Meals

By Community Grants, SmartMeals, StreetSmart News

We launched SmartMeals back in March 2020, spurred on by a widespread need for food relief and employment support. With incredible community support and generosity SmartMeals has now run for 626 days, delivering 259,665 nutritious meals to local, at-risk communities, by partnering with and funding over 150 organisations across 6 states. SmartMeals has enabled this network of partners to not only to provide vulnerable people with food security, and deliver employment and training opportunities for disadvantaged workers, but to connect and collaborate with their local communities.
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Community Grants Providing Immediate Impact

By Community Grants, COVID-19
Our network of Emergency Relief (ER) and Material Aid community organisations provide a crucial safety net for people experiencing a crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how critical these organisations are in supporting the health and wellbeing of vulnerable people. To reflect this, our recent Community Grants, made possible through a philanthropic partnership, have focused on providing $80,000 of support for immediate impact. Read More

SleepSafe – A safe night’s sleep for 37,000 vulnerable Australians

By COVID-19, Grant Impact, News, SleepSafe
Our SleepSafe campaign launched in August 2019, so has just turned two. We have been blown away by the support from donors – in particular over the past 12-months – where we have almost tripled (+274%) our impact, raising $410,000.

To date, the program has raised more than half a million dollars, which will help over 37,000 vulnerable Australians who are at risk or experiencing homelessness. Read More

CafeSmart powers local community groups

By CafeSmart, Homelessness in the news, Projects StreetSmart, StreetSmart News
Not even a global pandemic or lockdowns can dampen the community spirit of the coffee community, who are uniting to take action against homelessness through CaféSmart (2 – 8 August).

During Homelessness Week 2021 cafes across all states and territories are becoming homelessness advocates by raising awareness about the devastating crisis facing thousands of Australians without a home, and encouraging customers to dig deep to help provide vital funding. Cafes will also be donating $1 per coffee sold on Friday 6 August. What a huge effort in such a tough year.

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150,000 Meals Delivered, Training and Jobs Secured

By COVID-19, SmartMeals, Winter Appeal
SmartMeals was launched back in March 2020, responding to food insecurity of vulnerable people, as COVID restrictions hit community meals programs. This week we deliver our 150,000th meal, powered by our generous supporters. Currently we are collaborating with 13 food based social enterprises, in 5 States, to cook 4,000 meals per week, and we want to keep delivering…. Read More

Recovery Fund grants target homeless flood victims

By Homelessness in the news, Recovery Fund
A few weeks ago, two massive storms converged over eastern Australia dumping more than 40cm of rain in just five days across huge areas along the coastline, and in some cases as much as 80cm. Rivers rose rapidly, some by over 10 metres. Tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate, and many people have lost their homes, many have lost everything.

The flooding stretches 600 kilometres from Sydney to the Northern Rivers as Fiona Johnson, a hydrologist from the water research centre at UNSW explained, “It’s just the sheer scale of having it from the border all the way down south of Sydney.” In areas that suffered severe bushfires just 12 months ago, the storms have continued and compounded the devastation.

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Regular Sleep Is Imperative for a Healthy Future

By SleepSafe
West Connect

Western Sydney Homeless Connect (WSHC)

Today is World Sleep Day and the focus this year is ‘Regular Sleep, Healthy Future.’  This concept – that a good night’s sleep can be life-changing – is the driving force for our SleepSafe initiative with Sheridan Australia. Sleep not only gives the body a physical rest but also improves mental health.

“It is important to remember that sleep is involved with many physiologic systems such as memory consolidation, control of inflammation, hormone regulation, cardiovascular regulation and many other important functions. Reduced sleep duration has been shown to cause impairments in cognitive and executive function, while poor sleep has been associated with poor mental health.” Dr. Lourdes DelRosso.

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SmartCare grants supporting the mental & physical wellbeing of frontline workers

By Grant Impact, Projects StreetSmart, SmartCare

Bolton Clarke staff picnic funded by SmartCare

Last year was tough. Many of the small organisations we support were on the frontline looking after our most vulnerable and keeping them safe. Many charities saw revenues fall while demand on their services increased and they continued to reach out and provide vital support.

Frontline homelessness case work is distressing and enormously stressful. Staff burnout happens regularly. Workers often suffer ‘vicarious trauma’ as a result of being regularly exposed to distressing material or stories.

That’s why we set up SmartCare. It is an innovative program providing support to our frontline workers. People caring for marginalised and disadvantaged people often don’t take the time or have the necessary tools to look after their own mental and physical wellbeing. In order for charities to retain talented, caring and professional people they need to make sure their staff is supported. So, we stepped in. The StreetSmart community rallied together and donated to enable us to provide 15 grants in November. This meant for the first time in a long while or first time ever, charities could provide team building sessions, self-care initiatives, personal counselling and reward programs.

Here is what it meant to the organisations and their staff…

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Generous CafeSmart Supporters Fund 87 Community Grants

By CafeSmart, Grant Impact, StreetSmart Projects
During 2020 everything changed, most fundraising events were heavily impacted or cancelled. The 10th running of our annual CafeSmart event was one of these events. At first, we thought it would be cancelled outright as the hospitality industry was shut down. However, our sponsors, roasters and café community rallied and insisted CafeSmart go ahead to help continue our work to support people experiencing homelessness, especially during the challenges of 2020.

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SmartMeals delivers nourishment, connection, and hope over 100,000 times

By COVID-19 Emergency Response Grants, DineSmart, SmartMeals, StreetSmart News
To every single donor who has supported our work since March – THANK YOU.  You have enabled us to distribute over 100,000 SmartMeals, through a network of 62 charity partners giving vulnerable people access to nutritious meals. The program has distributed $780,000 to 56 cafes, restaurants and food based social enterprises, keeping people employed. It’s been an extraordinary collaboration driven by community and philanthropy.

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