StreetSmart is an organisation that asks diners to spread some festive cheer to those who may not have anything to eat at Christmas. Two dollars is added onto table bills in participating restaurants for the six weeks before Christmas day. Collected by StreetSmart, the money is distributed to smaller community organisations and used to help support the homeless.
In this interview, CEO Adam Robinson shares his experiences in taking action on homelessness.
What inspired you to act on the issue of homelessness?
I think it was a culmination of small things rather than something momentous. Five years ago I was incredibly frustrated with living under conservative governments that just didn’t reflect my own views on social justice, the environment and human rights. I felt adrift in a country that was heading in the wrong direction. I decided that I had to start to do something myself and that, increasingly, individuals will have to drive the agenda for change (and I think we have seen the start of this with the election).
I have always believed that homelessness is not acceptable in a modern wealthy society, and that those that find themselves in this situation should be given the best opportunities to get on in life. Having come from a stable loving family home I know how important this can be in shaping your life and opportunities. I am outraged that many children and young people find themselves homeless.
How was StreetSmart Australia formed?
My sister called me one night from the UK and told me about StreetSmart UK – a brilliantly simple idea and campaign. At the time I wanted to do something, I felt I was an ‘armchair activist’ - happy to donate and support but never really getting involved. I decided that personal action was critical so I set about using their concept here in Australia. StreetSmart UK supported homeless projects so I was happy to align the Australian campaign with this issue due to my own interest in social justice.
Where do you envision your organisation growing to?
I see StreetSmart as a bridge between the community and small grassroots organisations that we help. I’d like to think that we could have StreetSmart running in any community that had the passion and drive to make it happen. It will take local people to do this. We want to empower communities to join us and use our campaign to support local services.
What have been some professional and personal barriers to success and how have you overcome them?
One of the biggest barriers to success has been that I am an outsider in Melbourne (I emigrated here 10 years ago) and also in the world of hospitality. I have had to build support and contacts across the community and within the industry, this takes time.
Key to building a campaign like StreetSmart is building your networks, stakeholders and supporters. You need the will and patience to see it build and convince others it is worth the effort and time. I have been lucky to have met some great people along the way who are as passionate as I am to make this a successful organisation and fulfil our mission. I have just been determined to make it work!
What makes you feel as though your work has been worthwhile?
The great thing about working in this sector is that you can get up in the morning and know that what you do today will impact on someone’s life. That in itself is fulfilling. However, it is when you have the opportunity to meet and talk with people who have been directly helped by the programs we support, and they tell their story, that you then see and hear the direct results.
I recently shared a meal and chatted to the members of both the Choir of Hard Knocks and the Sydney Street Choir. Spending time with these people was a privilege and experience that has made the hard work worthwhile.
How do you decide which organisations to support with the money that you raise?
When I set up StreetSmart I knew I needed people who work in this sector making these decisions. The Board and I are advised by a Grants Committee in each State. We have criteria that specify that the funding should be directed to smaller organisations and that the donations should be directed to local services in the regions where the money is raised. Last year we decided to invite someone who had experienced homelessness onto the Victorian Committee and that was an extremely positive development for our committee, which we will be further developing this year.
In your opinion, is the best way to tackle homelessness to provide equal attention to both prevention and rehabilitation, or to promote one over the other? What have been some experiences that have informed this belief?
I am not an expert in this field and have put together Grants committees who have direct experience of these sorts of issues. I know that a number of people that are connected to StreetSmart firmly believe that we should be aiming to eradicate homelessness. Homelessness is a complex issue that will take a huge effort to solve.
Each person has a different journey into homelessness. However there are major structural failures that we can address and the issue of affordable housing options and development of social housing for people in low incomes is one that people in the sector believe needs urgent action.
Through StreetSmart we have funded a wide range of projects in the past few years and certainly these have included prevention, rehabilitation, education, advocacy, emergency aid, wellbeing and recreation etc. I personally think that as a country we should be working towards the eradication of homelessness as our aim and shaping policy around that goal.
What is your experience with persuading restaurants to adopt your cause?
Restaurants are no different to any other small businesses - they are very busy and have urgent issues to manage, often staffing related. For us to engage with the owner and staff and find time for them to properly consider their involvement presents us with our biggest challenge. It is often down to the individual owner who either wants to engage with the public on this issue and cares enough about it to get involved, or not. We have many owners and staff who believe passionately in helping out, and it is great to have them as part of our campaign, finding them is the tricky part!
How can interested people help during the year? Dine out… help out til 24th December, and tell your mates and family!
A list of participating restaurants can be found at www.streetsmartaustralia.com
Page created by Kelly Simpson and Millina Savann
