PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Diners in Plettenberg Bay have yet again made a massive impact on the lives of vulnerable children in the town, by adding only R5 extra to their bills.
This year StreetSmart SA – an organisation dedicated to children at risk of becoming street children – rebuild their lives through donations from restaurants and other establishments – handed over R80 000 to their Plettenberg Bay beneficiaries, a R10 000 increase from last year, at an event held at Grand Africa Rooms & Rendezvous on 30 November.
"This amount is made possible by the generosity of the patrons and our partners, who in spite of tough economic circumstances still give to make a difference to the lives of children, R5 at a time," StreetSmart founder Margi Biggs said.
StreetSmart SA is a conduit fundraising organisation that partners with restaurants, accommodation establishments and wine tasting rooms, to receive donations from diners and guests to support their own locally based beneficiary organisations.
The Plettenberg Bay beneficiaries for 2019 are Home from Home – Bitou Family Care and the Masizame Project. The organisations will use the funds respectively for social work supervision and the salary of a family reunification worker.
Collective effort the answer
"It takes a collective effort to respond to a societal issue around vulnerable children and StreetSmart is such a collective response. When StreetSmart started in Plett, we had a real problem with children begging on the streets, but through responsible giving and active NGOs, we now see the results of these preventative programmes. We invite more restaurants and accommodation establishments to be involved. We have come this far, let's build on the momentum," said StreetSmart Plettenberg Bay coordinator Patty Butterworth. Grand Africa Rooms & Rendezvous, Ice Palazzo, Nguni Restaurant, Plett Wine Tours, The Fat Fish, The Med Seafood Bistro and The Pie Shop, are currently the six local establishments that have embraced StreetSmart's vision.
"For the fifth consecutive year, StreetSmart will be disbursing over R1-million to beneficiaries nationally, enabling us to support 35 programmes," said StreetSmart SA chair Melanie Burke.
StreetSmart SA was set up in 2005 by a group of concerned Cape Town residents under the patronage of archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu. Similar StreetSmart organisations also run independently in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and The Netherlands.
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