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Who will stand up and be counted?

by Nada on 12 May 2011

Well this question may be asked in the analysis of data that will be collected in the upcoming 2011 Census on 9 August, particularly if you are a young person.

There is currently a discussion paper being circulated from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) proposing significant changes to the methodology being used to analyse data collected relating to the amount of people experiencing homelessness within Australia.

After reviewing Chamberlain & Mackenzie’s ‘Counting the Homeless’ Report (2006) and applying a ‘new’ methodology, the ABS have revised the number of young people experiencing homelessness from approximately 21,000 down to 5,000 nationally.

Categories such as couch surfing and overcrowding which both currently fit within the cultural definition of secondary homelessness; will be removed from being applied to the census data analysis, reducing homelessness in this category by 58%.

Unlike Chamberlain & Mackenzie’s comprehensive analysis of the 2001 and 2006 census, data obtained from Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) and data from the Secondary School Survey will not be included. Instead, the ABS will form the homelessness estimate purely from raw census figures obtained on census night.

Federal funding for the National Census of Homeless School Students has been denied, severely limiting the number of young people who are attending school, but who are also experiencing homelessness to be counted. In 2006 an estimated 7000 young people were homeless but still attending school.

Homelessness is a hidden issue even with the rigorous methodology applied by Chamberlain & Mackenzie to previous Census counts. Australia has been in a unique position to have a consensus on homelessness figures at all, and this should not be compromised in the analysis of the 2011 Census data.

ABS data is used widely amongst services providing responses to young people to lobby for funding that will go towards tackling the issues that have led to young people experiencing homelessness.

Over quite a number of recent years  we have also seen the word ‘youth’ falling out of policy and funding descriptors amongst the homeless sector, further contributing to hiding levels of homelessness amongst young people in preference to more generic ‘one size’ fits all approaches.

The question: ‘Who will stand up and be counted?’ needs to be put to federal, state and local governments, who over recent years have claimed that homelessness will be halved by 2020. Will this be achieved by the way Australia chooses to count the homeless through the ABS?

These changes will have a significant impact on the lives of young people experiencing homelessness, as they will have to become 'rough sleepers' in order to be noticed. By this time any early intervention opportunities that could have been implemented will be lost and young people will have accumulated many more issues that will affect their ability to get out of the homeless cycle.

Australia – a lucky country – for some but not for all, and certainly not if you have the misfortune to be young!

For more information check out the Sector Briefing Paper.

Nada

Fair Trade Fortnight - Make the Swap!

by Kylie on 10 May 2011

It’s Fair Trade Fortnight and there’s never been a better time to make the swap to STREAT Coffee! STREAT Coffee Tastes Good. Does Good.

STREAT Coffee is certified Fair Trade. It’s a deliciously smooth organic blend weaving flavours from around the globe, and it’s locally roasted at the Abbotsford Convent Bakery.

STREAT coffee is socially responsible on both a global and local level. Because our coffee is certified fair trade, our growers get fair prices and conditions. Your purchase also helps stop youth homelessness. 100% of profit from your purchase goes towards our training program. So you’ll be helping STREAT’s trainees get barista training and experience roasting, grinding and packaging coffee.

STREAT coffee is a better product at a great price, so make your cuppa really count by by purchasing STREAT coffee for your home, work, school, or as a gift for your friends. You can also run a STREAT Coffee Fundraiser!

So what are you waiting for? Make the swap this Fair Trade Fortnight and make your cuppa really count!

Kylie

Run with STREAT

by Kylie on 15 April 2011

The STREAT team are donating their blood, sweat and tears to help raise $10,000 to stop youth homelessness! 

We are limbering up and getting ready to hit the streets by participating in the Run Melbourne 5km run/walk on the 17th July 2011. 

We'd love you to join the team and run/walk with us! 

Join the Run with STREAT team in four easy steps:

  1. Head to Run with STREAT
  2. Click the 'Join this Team' button on the right
  3. Create your fundraising account by entering a username and password (these are your own personal choice), now enter all required personal information to complete your account
  4. Almost there, you just need to enter the team password (streetfood007) and you're done!

Thank you for taking the time to join the Run with STREAT team. Now spread the love with your friends, family and work mates and you're ready to start fundraising to support STREAT!

Wondering what to wear? Show your support by wearing our favourite RED STREAT T-Shirt! You get free shipping when you buy 4.

Be sure to keep an eye on our blog, team training progress and updates are coming soon!

Best of luck!

#Hope Poem

by Kylie on 14 April 2011

When class 2 finished the STREAT program last week they told us how supported they’ve felt throughout their seven months with us. And that’s not just because we have an amazing team to support them, but because we have amazing customers, amazing online supporters and amazing partner organisations who show their support in a myriad of ways. Thank you for spreading the love – our youth have felt it!  As one of our graduating trainees said last week…

‘It feels like a family ought to at STREAT, a good kind of family, not like some families…’

So here’s one more thing you can do. Help us write a collective poem to Class 2 on what we hope for their future. All you’ve got to do is contribute one line.

The poem starts:

We hope…

You can tweet @STREATmelbourne using #hope, facebook, email comms@streat.com.au (make the subject line ‘Hope’), or hand deliver your poetry line to one of our cart sites.

And to follow the progress of the poem we’d encourage you to keep checking in at this blog.

Thank you!

(PS - We kinda hope that it goes without saying that by sending us your line you are consenting to STREAT Ltd using your content for creative and promotional purposes. But just in case.)

Pinch me, this must be a dream!

by Kylie on 8 April 2011

So I’ve just come to the end of my first week working with STREAT and thought that I would share some reflections of my experience with you, because working with STREAT really is like a dream!

Arriving on day one I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, so I decided to approach the day with my mind and heart open, ready for everything that might come my way.

I think this paid off because I was welcomed so warmly by a team of amazing people, and was even treated to an early morning coffee run to our lovely neighbours at Kinfolk Cafe. A sneaker of inspiration from our CEO Rebecca Scott completed my STREAT welcome and kicked my journey off to a start.

Not too long after I had fired up my computer, our trainees from class two and three started to arrive, and the STREAT HQ was a hive of excitement. The trainees were all dressed to impress, ready to be hosted by the Langham for a kitchen tour and full course lunch. Happy snaps taken by yours truly captured the moment and I felt incredibly lucky to share it with them.

Enter Bec’s Big Black Book… The conceptual heartbeat of STREAT, and my first communications strategy session was underway. This was essentially an ideas session full of thinking BIG in a dynamic and creative space and having lots of fun and laughs throughout the process. For what only seemed like an hour turned out to be closer to three, before our rumbling tummies told us to call it a day and grab some lunch!

Day two, and while still feeling shiny and new, I’m also feeling ready to begin bringing our BIG ideas to life and enter the next generation of STREAT communications! Later that morning, we were treated to a surprise visit by Bec’s Dad who stopped by the office to stock STREAT’s kitchen with some of his very own honey, an affinity with food clearly runs in the Scott family.

The next day was full of meeting new people up at the Hub Melbourne’s regular mixed bag lunch. This was followed by some secret squirrel business back at the STREAT office, the details of which will be revealed very soon, so stay tuned!

My last day of the week was full of feeling as proud as punch, as our second class of trainees graduated from the 6 month STREAT program. Each of their individual journeys have been pretty incredible and I felt so privileged to celebrate the rewards of their hard work by going bowling and sharing a final meal together at the STREAT foodcart in Fed Square.

Melbourne must have known this day was special, because we were treated to a bright and sunny day, just as bright as the futures that lay ahead of each of the trainees. We wish you the best of luck class two!!

So there you have it, this wraps up my very first week at STREAT, it has been a great start to my journey, and I’m really excited to share it with you all. Till next time!