StreetSmart SA, which celebrates its 15th anniversary changing children’s lives R5 at a time, has launched ‘Dine in. Do Good!’, an interim measure to raise funds during the lockdown until restaurants can open again.
With StreetSmart hospitality partners under lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic, no funds can be raised through the usual way of adding a R5 donation to the bills of their patrons. To continue raising funds in support of beneficiary organisations working with vulnerable children and their families, StreetSmart SA is appealing to everyone who would usually donate at partner establishments, to continue doing so while dining at home.
“Our hearts go out to our partners in the hospitality industry and we can only hope that they will be able to reopen soon and resume their operations. These lockdown measures have put our ability to raise funds under severe pressure and we appeal to everyone to continue supporting StreetSmart during these unprecedented times,” says StreetSmart SA chairperson Melanie Burke.
Since its inception in 2005, StreetSmart SA has raised R11,6 million in aid of 31 organisations caring for street children and those at risk of living on the streets through partnerships with restaurants, accommodation establishments and wine tasting venues in the Western Cape, Garden Route and Gauteng.
‘Dine in. Do good!’ enables people to donate R150 per month at just R5 per day for 30 days until the lockdown restrictions have been lifted and partner establishments are up and running again.
”With so many of us at home cooking more meals than usual and eating in, we call on everyone to support ‘Dine in. Do Good!’ to help us continue funding skills training and family reunification programmes for vulnerable children. Donors can rest assured that every cent raised will go to our beneficiaries and will not be used for any StreetSmart operational expenses. You are of course welcome to give more, and we hope with gratitude, that you are able to do so,’ adds Burke.
Every cent raised via ‘Dine in. Do good!’ will help to bring financial stability to struggling organisations, enabling them to maintain their social worker programmes and keep rendering services to children in need long after the lockdown, when the psycho-social needs in communities would have escalated as a result of the pandemic.
Donations can be made to the StreetSmart SA bank account at Nedbank Foreshore Branch Number 108 309, Account Number: 108 33444 39; Swift code: Ned SZA JJ, with DIDG and your cell phone number as your reference.
StreetSmart SA is registered as a Public Benefit Organisation as well as a Non-profit Organisation and ensures that every cent donated by guests at partner establishments and ‘Dine in. Do good!’ during the lockdown, goes towards social and educational upliftment projects.