Hot Dogs from the Homeless

We have an action plan to create jobs for our homeless Aussies and we need your help to raise funds, please!

Hot Dogs from the Homeless is the employment creation hub of Time 4 Action, a not-for-profit organisation, started by Jason Anderson, solely devoted to partnering with our homeless population to remedy the causes and effects of homelessness on the most vulnerable citizens in our communities.

Armed with the knowledge that there are 116,000 deemed homeless people in Australia (ABS Report, 2016 – 2049.0 – Census of Population and Housing: Estimating homelessness, 2016), Hot Dogs from the Homeless wants to address these figures, head on.


Time 4 Action and Hot Dogs from the Homeless is helmed by Jason Anderson, a former corporate General Manager and Mechanical Engineer, with an Executive Master’s degree in Business Administration. LinkedIn Jason Anderson Profile 


Hot Dogs from the Homeless has been envisioned and nurtured by Jason, with a passion to upskill homeless people through work that provides them regular income, facilitating social reintegration giving them the dignity of self-sufficiency. As Jason puts it, “I’d rather have one homeless person off the streets permanently, than ten homeless people off the streets temporarily.”

Jason is dedicated to this cause having volunteered weekly for the past 4 years within the homeless community; and also having spent a day and night living rough on the streets in order to connect with homeless people and understand their circumstances authentically. The difference is that he knew he had friends, family and a home to go to, and the people he connected with didn't. He's now set about doing something about it.


Hot Dogs from the Homeless is about employment training and creating jobs for the homeless so we set them down the path to success. We'll do this by offering external and on-the-job training and employment into the hospitality industry through our fleet of mobile food vehicles. We will train baristas and professional hospitality staff.


The goal is to have a fleet of mobile food vehicles (like the prototype in the photo above) around Australia and New Zealand that provide a platform from which our menu of chef-designed hot dogs can be delivered to our customers in a friendly exchange.

We want to win awards for how good our food is, and groom our people to be incredibly proud of what they’re a part of. Our vision is to mentor, upskill and employ our homeless Aussies to find their way back from powerlessness to purpose.

Our set-up costs include:

First Hot Dogs from the Homeless trailer = $40,000
Tow/support vehicle = $10,000
CBD permits/Rent = $9,000
Marketing = $4,000
Packaging = $4,000
Ingredients = $4,000
Training = $4,000
Uniforms = $1,000
Running Costs = $4,000

= $80,000  - A very small price to pay to change a very large number of lives.

Once the trailer is fully functional it will be completely self sufficient. The profits from the sale of coffee and the incredibly delicious hot dogs will be used to pay wages, fund expansions and potentially also fund external projects that will further support the homeless community.
 



To wrap it all up, Jason has said: "My passion is to support, mentor and  leave each person that I come across better off, making tomorrow better than today. Abraham (pictured with me above) was  homeless for 7 months sleeping in train stations and in doorways. We got him into mainstream permanent housing and onto Centrelink so he at least had some money coming in. He hadn't slept in a bed for over 7 months but now he has started down the pathway to success.

Just imagine, for a minute, how he felt when he woke up for the first time in months in a safe, warm comfortable bed. Every Australian deserves these basic necessities of life.  So, will you please join me to ensure they receive them?  I have to express how much your financial contribution, however small or huge, means - Thank you for any effort, time, financial resources or encouragement you've shared."