A message from Streethearts President, Elma Fleming

“Streethearts was initially started in 2010 by a few of us who saw a need to cover some of the areas that had fallen outside of other local charities’ focus.

We are a small group, all volunteers with no paid staff – so everything we collect goes to support someone in need.  We started with 4 of us packing hampers in a garage. We have since expanded to 6 regulars with lots of voluntary help as needed through the year, as many as 50 during seasonal periods like Christmas.

Our major focus is on youngsters in care where we look to make their lives a little more cheerful by making sure that they have a gift to unwrap on or before Christmas. We also make up food hampers to distribute to their carer family.

These individuals are referred to us, identified by first name only through what used to be FACS, now Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ). The gifts and the hampers are distributed back via the Department’s case workers.

Typically we provide a gift (new not pre-loved) to around 300 youngsters, ages ranging from infants to late teens. And with the Food Hampers, we expect to send out about 150-300 annually.

We are not too proud to chase corporate contributors, companies like Lindt, Pace, Carmen, Bunnings, to name but a few and our own social networks of course. Nothing spent on advertising just word of mouth. Donors can rest assured that their contribution is going to worthy recipients, bringing a little seasonal cheer someone’s life. Just knowing that someone cares.

Beyond our Christmas activity we put out a mobile food van on public holidays throughout the year to provide a lunch pack to those on the streets around Kings Cross and Woolloomooloo.

Many of their normal sources of food are closed on Public Holidays

At Easter we do another distribution through the same channels typically of pyjamas or winter items such as beanies, warm blankets and chocolates.”