Cafe gives Mackay rough sleepers a fresh start

The cafe will provide its staff with on-the-job training and skills.

Australian Street Aid Project founder Kayleigh Brewster. Picture: Melanie Whiting

MACKAY’S rough sleepers will be given a fresh start when a new social enterprise opens this month.

Local charity Australian Street Aid Project has announced the opening of its not-for-profit Chances Cafe, which will employ people experiencing homelessness in Mackay.

The cafe will provide its staff with on-the-job training and skills in hospitality and ­retail.

Staff will also receive support packages tailored to their specific needs, with the goal of ending the cycle of homelessness.

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In February, ASAP founder Kayleigh Brewster told the Daily Mercury there was still stigma surrounding the issue of homelessness, including in regional areas.

“A lot of people seem to think people are homeless because they don’t want to work or because they have done bad things in the past,” Ms Brewster said.

“But a majority of them definitely don’t want to be homeless and there’s reasons beyond their control that have caused them to become homeless.

“We designed a program that includes employment, acc­ommodation, support services and education to take people directly out of homelessness.”

All revenue from Chances Cafe will go towards employing and supporting people experiencing homelessness.

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The charity has pledged to direct any extra revenue into ASAP’s meal services, street relief packages and outreach services.

Chances Cafe is set to open in Shakespeare Street in late June.

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