EDSocialJusticeSTREAT

=__STREAT__ =

===Streat is probably one of the most famous homeless aid organisations in Melbourne due to its different approach on helping the homeless. The idea that Streat have is that you don't give the homeless money; you give them the tools to earn it themselves. They are also given jobs at STREAT to start them off. The job is making and serving coffees, hot chocolates and other food/beverages. ===

These coffees are no ordinary coffees but with every coffee there are stories of value in every one cup.They include:

 * ===100% of the profit goes to the homeless. ===
 * ===All of the coffee grindings go into the compost. ===
 * ===The cup is made of biodegradable material. ===
 * ===The cups will be covered in art from undiscovered artists. ===
 * ===Everyone involved with making the coffee has been paid fairly (an example of fair trade). ===

===I was interested to find out how Streat was started. Rebecca Scott and Kate Barrele were in Vietnam and they saw some homeless men selling products they had made. Because Vietnam's safety net for the homeless is not as strong as ours (in fact it's barely there) these men were literally not going to eat if they did not sell anything. Rebecca liked how the men were working for their money and not being given it for free.Both of them were already part of KOTO, a program that gives youth in Vietnam the skills to work in restaurants or cafes. They wanted to combine these two things and bring them to Melbourne. The program snowballed from there and kicked off officially in 2010. ===

===Unfortunately, a lot of the people coming into the program having pre-existing problems and require counselling. Although Streat do supply the counsellors some cannot come through the program due to particularly complicated issues. One of the hardest jobs to do at STREAT is tell someone they cannot be helped. ===

===Hopefully the next time you need a coffee in the morning you'll buy it from Streat. You will not only be buying a coffee but helping many. You are giving people a fair go, you are helping. ===

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