High 5 for StreetSmart SA Top 5

High 5 for StreetSmart SA Top 5 – StreetSmart partners keep making a difference to the lives of vulnerable children, R5 at a time.

In addition to the 101 restaurants throughout South Africa where patrons can make a voluntary R5 donation added to their bill, guests at an increasing number of wine tasting rooms, B&B’s, guest houses and hotels are now able to make a contribution. All funds raised support organisations working with street children within the area where the establishments are located putting the money donated to work where it is needed most in the local community.

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. In this way locally run programmes that prevent the vulnerable from becoming street children, and help those already on the streets through reintegration back into schools or families, can be funded.

Last year, StreetSmart restaurants and their diners raised over R1,7 million nationally. The Top 5 Contributing restaurants were: GOLD Restaurant (Cape Town), raising R113,224, La Mouette (Cape Town), who raised R84,500, Moyo @ Kirstenbosch (Cape Town) who raised R56,765, Stacked Diner (Cape Town) who raised R52,660 and Chatters Bistro (Knysna), who raised R46,940.

“GOLD Restaurant supports StreetSmart as we truly believe in the work that they do and have done for the past 14 years. The organisations that benefit from our donations have a direct impact in our community. Our staff are fully committed to engaging with our guests on why we support StreetSmart and this often results in our wonderful guests contributing more than R5 at a time. Our thanks go to our guests for their generous contributions,” says Cindy Muller, MD of GOLD Restaurant, the top achieving StreetSmart restaurant in 2018.

StreetSmart acknowledge their Top 20 contributors annually. After the Top 5, the next in line are: Aubergine, Myoga @ The Vineyard Hotel, Nonna Lina, Moyo @ Eden and Café Extrablatt (Cape Town), Foliage (Franschhoek), Waterkloof Restaurant (Helderberg), Moyo Zoo Lake and La Cucina di Ciro (Johannesburg), Caroline’s Bistro @ Belvidere Manor (Knysna), The Fat Fish – Plett and Nguni Restaurant (Plettenberg Bay), Bread & Wine (Franschhoek), and The Restaurant @ Neethlingshof and Jordan Restaurant (Stellenbosch).

Every cent of the donations received by StreetSmart establishments goes to organisations that support vulnerable children through education, skills training and family reunification, in order to give them a chance to normalise their lives and to be re-integrated into society.

“We can all do our bit. Your StreetSmart contributions of R5 literally changes lives because it enables us to support programmes that work towards normalising the lives of vulnerable children and children living on the streets. So, please join our StreetSmart partner network and give responsibly,” says Melanie Burke, StreetSmart Chairman.

StreetSmart SA invites more restaurants, accommodation establishments and wine tasting centres to participate and more diners and guests to choose to go to StreetSmart establishments – in this way more children’s lives can be changed.

StreetSmart SA was set up in 2005 by a group of concerned Capetonians under the patronage of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and comprises resourceful board members representing business and the hospitality and tourism industries. Similar StreetSmart organisations also run independently in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany and The Netherlands.

StreetSmart SA is registered as a Public Benefit Organisation as well as a Non Profit Organisation and ensures that every cent donated by diners, guests and patrons goes towards social and educational upliftment projects for street children. StreetSmart’s goal is to be part of the process of social normalisation and to encourage the public not to give money into the hands of a child as this keeps them on the streets. In essence, frequenting and donating at a StreetSmart establishment is the responsible way to help a street child.

For more information or to make a donation, contact StreetSmart at Tel: 021 447 3227 email info@streetsmartsa.org.za or visit www.streetsmartsa.org.za. Be sure to follow them on @StreetSmartSA on Twitter and Facebook.

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