With the number of not-for-profits and social enterprises in Melbourne’s CBD growing, it’s now easier than ever to make a difference. Whether you’re buying clothes, doing your grocery shopping or simply having a coffee, you could be helping the homeless, raising funds for indigenous communities or supporting asylum seekers – and you may not even know it.
So, rather than sitting at your desk mindlessly scrolling through Facebook during your lunch hour, get out into the city and see how much you can help in just 60 minutes at the following not-for-profits.
While HoMie might look like a typical retail store, behind the racks of clothing and the sunglasses display there lies a deeper social mission: to help the city’s homeless.
The Melbourne Central pop-up, which opened in early July, is run by volunteers and sells menswear and womenswear donated by big brands, including Cotton On, Snowgum and Stussy, as well as the store’s own label.
“HoMie runs just like any other shop, but we’re also trying to engage the public, particularly younger people, and show that giving back can be easy and cool,” said HoMie co-founder Nick Pearce.
For each item purchased at HoMie, one item of clothing will be donated to someone in Melbourne experiencing homelessness. On the store’s ‘VIP’ days, folks in need, approved by an agency, come in and select up to five items of clothing. These VIP shoppers can also enjoy a free haircut, free coffee, get their make-up done and attend job-skills workshops.
Pearce said the shop’s simple model and transparency had aided in its success.
“I love being part of a project where people can see first hand the effect that their support and donations are having,” he said. “The public can see the disadvantaged people coming in, getting clothes and the huge impact this has on their self-confidence.”
Since 2009 STREAT has given the public a chance to help young people get their lives back on track simply by doing what Melburnians do best – drinking coffee. The organisation teaches hospitality skills to youths at risk of experiencing homelessness and disadvantage. Five STREAT cafés have assisted more than 150 trainees as they become certified baristas and chefs.
The not-for-profit’s programs range from half-day coffee courses to a 20-week development program, which includes workshops in personal development, professional employment skills and mental health, with the option of completing a certificate two in hospitality.
STREAT has cafés located in Melbourne Central, RMIT and at Southbank, where baristas churn out lattes from the group’s own coffee roaster. Friendly staff sell a range of salads, sandwiches and pastries.
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Food Justice Truck:
Last week the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre launched its Food Justice Truck – the world’s first not-for-profit mobile grocery in support of asylum seekers. The ASRC sources fresh and some processed food from local wholesalers and farmers and sells it to the general public at retail price. The profits are then used to cross-subsidise food for asylum seekers, who can purchase their groceries at around 75 per cent off.
There are currently 10,000 asylum seekers awaiting processing in Melbourne alone, some surviving on less than $3 a day because they’re not allowed to work while their claims are processed.
“There’s such an evident need for assistence, because 90 per cent of asylum seekers suffer from food insecurity,” Food Justice Truck manager Russell Shields said. “Our role is to reduce this number by providing affordable access to fresh, nutritious produce that can see $20 turned into $80 worth of food for someone, which can be a life-saving amount.”
Shields said he had noticed an increase in the number of not-for-profits in the city and believed the public’s awareness about the targeted issues was growing.
“There’s been a wonderful number of food-based social enterprises develop in Melbourne over recent years that are having a positive impact on the community and on the environment,” he said. “They are providing great opportunities for people experiencing disadvantage, either through training, employment or through fundraising.”
The Food Justice Truck will be positioned outside Wesley Church on Lonsdale Street each Wednesday from 11:30am until 2pm.
Nestled down a city laneway in typical Melbourne fashion lies Shebeen, a watering hole with a difference. Here, 100 per cent of the profits from your beer, wine or cider is channeled into organisations assisting people in the drink’s country of origin. Each organisation is committed to tackling poverty in developing countries, including Kenya, Laos and Cambodia.
With live music and DJs on weekends, an eclectic mix of food and drinks and quirky interior filled with potted plants and scuffed couches, doing good has never been more fun.
