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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

StreetSmart announces new Recovery Fund response for COVID-19 & natural disasters

By News, StreetSmart News
Updated 31st March 2021

Recovery Fund – Rebuild. Relief. Restore

StreetSmart has established a brand new ‘Recovery Fund’ to help support smaller homelessness service providers impacted by crises such as COVID-19 and natural disasters. Grants from this fund will help organisations adapt to the challenges they are facing, reinvigorate programs, rethink strategies, and build capacity and resilience. Grants will target organisations with a particular focus on people impacted heavily by the pandemic e.g. youth, women and children experiencing domestic violence, migrant and refugee communities, temporary visa holders, and the unemployed. Grants and resources will also be allocated to supporting charities impacted by the recent floods in New South Wales. Read More

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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The devastating effect of COVID-19 on food security

By News, SmartMeals, StreetSmart News
Communify SmartMeals

Back in March as the COVID-19 crisis loomed we reached out to our community partners to listen to their concerns and gauge how to support them best. Nearly all confirmed that food security was a major problem for their homeless and disadvantaged clients. As soon as lock down was announced charity meals programs shut due to social distancing regulations and older volunteers protecting their health. Our response to this urgent food security challenge was to make a number of food relief related grants including supporting FareShare, a long term partner, and we also moved quickly to establish the SmartMeals program.

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COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund Supports Healthcare Services

By News, StreetSmart News
Sunny Street
Photo Credit: Sunny Street
This week we have provided three grants totalling $11,000 from our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. We have moved fast to distribute funds to make sure people are getting the support they need. All three grants are supporting the urgent demand for health responses right now for the most vulnerable. StreetMed in Western Sydney, All Round Health in Hobart and Sunny Street on Sunshine Coast specialise in delivering healthcare services all year round to people who are homeless.
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SMARTMEALS – Feeding People Saving Jobs

By News, StreetSmart News

UPDATED 28.04.2020 – 2650 meals for vulnerable people provided

Right now charity meals programs are  shut across the country. With gatherings restricted and older volunteers protecting their health, food security for vulnerable Australians is an emerging challenge. At the same time restaurants and cafes are closing. This is making workers with limited resources, vulnerable to poverty, hunger and homelessness.
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DineSmart Powers COVID-19 Response Grants

By DineSmart, News, StreetSmart News


“I truly believe this grant will be lifesaving…”
Peter Valpiani, The Haymarket Foundation

It seems an entire lifetime ago but back in December and before the January bushfire crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, just over 100 restaurants around Australia teamed up with their customers to raise funds for local homeless services. This was our 17th DineSmart campaign and our dedicated band of restaurateurs and their staff drove the event – chatting with customers and advocating for a world without homelessness. Little did they know what lay ahead for them and their businesses, and just how important these funds would be for frontline services dealing with a crisis the likes we haven’t seen in a generation.

Last week 33 community grants worth $191,150, funded by DineSmart 2019 donations, were distributed in VIC, NSW, QLD and SA. 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