2006 StreetSmart’s biggest year yet

Restaurants raise $113,450 for programs to help the homeless

You might remember our report of StreetSmart Australia, the charity campaign run Melbourne and Sydney restaurateurs, last year.

The campaign, which started in the UK, involves participating restaurants over the period of the campaign proposing to customers that they add a $2 donation be the table’s bill.

Adam Robinson, Founder and CEO of Streetsmart Australia sent his congratulations to supporters on a huge 2006 via this email message.

This is my favourite time of year when I get to say thanks and let everyone know what we have all achieved together through the 2006 StreetSmart campaign. This is all about results and impacts, the real story behind our efforts.

2006 was huge. Thanks to you and a great community effort we have raised more than $113,450 in the 6 weeks prior to Christmas – that’s an increase of over 40%! Victorians donated more than $83,000 and, in their first year, NSW raised a fantastic $31,250.

100% of this will now be distributed to smaller organisations in the communities where the funds were raised. It’s a long way from the $16,000 we raised in 2003!

Small grants making a big impact and changing lives
The real impact of the campaign is the opportunities and help, given to those experiencing homelessness, through our grants to smaller organisations. Communities that have raised money have seen their efforts rewarded with grants to their local communities and beyond. It
is so exciting to see the projects we can fund and the great work these small organisations do. They really know how to make the funding go a long way. This is what it’s all about.

35 organisations have been supported this year. Projects include; animal assisted education and therapy, homeless choirs, the first art gallery for the homeless, young mothers groups, art therapy for young children affected by domestic violence, arts and drama projects,
refurbishment of accommodation, computer resources for a women’s refuge, soccer and emergency aid… and the list goes on.

For full details of our 2006-07 grants please visit our website.

StreetSmart is a great effort by the hospitality industry to support our community. We’d like to congratulate and thank all our restaurants and wineries. A special thanks to the staff and diners at Longrain in Sydney and Il Solito Posto in Melbourne for being our champion restaurants in 2006.

Our top 15 restaurants in Victoria:

Il Solito Posto
Mecca Bah
Harvey’s
Sails on the Bay
Cafe Fidama, Yarraville
Arintji
Blue Tongue
Ezard
Longrain
Syracuse
Verge
Livebait
Three One Two
@SunnySide Up – Sorrento
Mini

And NSW

Longrain Sydney
Coast Restaurant
Manta Restaurant
Oscillate Wildly
Bistro Moncur
Yellow Bistro
La Grande Bouffe
RQ
Bistrode
Bistro 163
Shaft Tavern Eatery, Newcastle
Perama
Alchemy 731
Verandah Restaurant
The Barn

Thanks to Crumpler and Moonlight Cinema our leading restaurants and staff have been rewarded for their huge efforts.

Restaurateurs who support StreetSmart often work with One Umbrella, who collect food that cannot be used and turn it into nutritious meals (183,000 in 2004!), to agencies working with the homeless and hungry.