After we pay staff wages, store rent and pay for our products to be made, 100% of the profits we make go towards providing pathways out of homelessness. It’s not just about shelter, but empowering people to learn, make social connections and become self-sufficient. This is our long-term goal, because it leads to long term results and less people on the streets.
Our efforts range from small victories to big picture thinking – from distributing items of brand-new clothing to Melbourne’s homeless community, to raising $100,000 in partnership with act. to fund a new training program called The Pathway Project.
If you want to find out more about how we operate,
contact info@homie.com.au
Each month we run a ‘VIP Shopping Day’ in the HoMie store with a partner service, where people who are experiencing homelessness are invited to shop for free as ‘VIP customers’.
On VIP Shopping Days, up to 30 VIP customers receive a complementary and dignified shopping experience, as well as free nutritious food, coffee, haircuts and other grooming services. However, VIP Shopping Days are also about making connections. We hope the VIP customers leave the store feeling special and supported by HoMie and the community at large.
To date HoMie has supported:
– The Big Issue
– Melbourne City Mission
– Ladder Foundation
– Launch Housing
– WAYSS
– SHARC
– St Mary’s House of Welcome
– MOSS (Merri Outreach Support Service)
The Pathway Project provides traineeships to young people who have experienced or been at-risk of homelessness. The traineeships include on-the-job experience and accredited training to help trainees successfully complete a Certificate III in Retail Operations.
Led by HoMie, the project has a number of key elements:
The trainee program is a six-month, part-time program broken into four sessions.
Trainees are remunerated during the course of the project in line with the General Retail