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SmartCare Provides First Wellbeing Grants for Essential, Frontline Staff

By COVID-19 Emergency Response Grants, Projects StreetSmart, SmartCare
Staff at South Port Community Group

Staff at South Port Community Group

The workload on our frontline essential workers has been relentless over the past 7 months.  They are the carers that have kept vulnerable people safe, yet they are often people who do not prioritise their own wellbeing. That’s where we have stepped in with an innovative new program. SmartCare raises funds and awareness for staff wellbeing programs.

We are excited to announce that just two months after launching SmartCare we have just made our first round of SmartCare Grants across five states. Fifteen organisations were funded with $47,000 worth of grants, impacting an estimated 540 staff.

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The inextricable link between homelessness and poverty

By COVID-19, Homelessness in the news
Centrelink line
Homelessness and poverty are inextricably linked.

If we want to end homelessness, we must also end poverty. Two major policy responses to substantially reduce poverty, and homelessness, have been put forward strongly for at least a decade. Both could also have a substantial impact as an economic stimulus as we navigate the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Firstly, immediately lift Job Seeker payments permanently and secondly, build more public and social housing. Read More

Pandemic paves the way to solving homelessness

By COVID-19, Homelessness in the news

People facing homelessness leave a shelter for a hotel. (ABC News: Scott Mitchell)

It’s Homelessness Week and we are at a pivotal time for homelessness and housing policy in Australia. What we have seen happen since late March has been nothing but monumental and presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform the country’s homelessness system. We need to make sure we continue this revolution for the homelessness sector and not go back to the way it was before the pandemic hit.

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StreetSmart Helps FareShare Provide Food Relief and Employment

By COVID-19 Emergency Response Grants, DineSmart, Grant Impact, News
William and Lorena working at Fare Share

Visa holders William and Lorena working at FareShare

In March, as COVID-19 hit, we saw food relief programs, community kitchens and soup vans ceasing to operate. Anxiety about the virus, social distancing recommendations and a dependence on vulnerable older volunteers meant quick closures.  This left vulnerable people without their usual support and social connections. We also heard from our hospitality partners that they had been hit hard and many vulnerable staff were likely to suffer dis-proportionally.

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Vulnerable Hospitality Workers Receive Meals Through COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund Grants

By COVID-19 Emergency Response Grants, News
The EAD Team prepping meals

The EAD Team prepping meals

The Hospitality sector has been devastated by COVID-19. 100,000’s of workers have been laid off, or had hours drastically cut. Last week we made five more grants from our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund all targeting the basic needs of these workers, many who aren’t covered by Government support.

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Youth Homelessness in the age of COVID-19

By StreetSmart News, StreetSmart Projects
Foyer Shepparton group
Photo Credit: Foyer Shepparton
Young people in their teens and twenties maybe less likely to contract or be at risk from COVID-19, but many will be affected by the societal and financial fall out for years to come. This pandemic has and will have a dramatic impact on young people’s lives, that why this week we made four grants to youth based organisations from our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. Read More

StreetSmart funds emergency relief grants for COVID-19 thanks to 2019 DineSmart

By DineSmart, News, StreetSmart News
Thanks to DineSmart 2019
We have been continually checking in with our community partners throughout this COVID-19 crisis and one thing rings true for every one, they need funding right now. And thanks to the generous support of venues and customers through our 2019 DineSmart campaign we are able to provide immediate grants to help support them through this difficult time.

We will be sharing a lot of the positive impact we’re able to make in the coming days and weeks. Read More

CafeSmart 2019 Funds 173 Community Organisations

By CafeSmart, News

Christmas is only a few weeks away and it’s a mad dash to the end of the year. Our annual DineSmart campaign is in full swing at 118 participating restaurants/cafes across four States. At the same time we have been busy finalising our CafeSmart 2019 collection and allocating our next round of Community Grants. This is what our work is all about…
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Winter Appeal – Street Medical Outreach Saves Lives

By Homelssness Healthcare, News, StreetSmart Projects
Night Nurses in MelbourneWinter is upon us and as the cold starts to bite we know there are thousands of vulnerable people facing a winter outside, sleeping rough, across Australia. This has a profound effect on their health and wellbeing. Experiencing homelessness means a shorter life, especially if you are on the street and unfortunately the numbers of people sleeping rough are rising, with recent street counts confirming these fears. Read More