Overview
The next time you go out drinking and feel that warm, fuzzy feeling, it might not be because you've had one too many. Hopefully, it'll be because the money you spent on your beverage is being used to support an extremely important cause. Starting next week, more than two dozen bars across Melbourne are teaming up with social enterprise Scarf for a campaign to help refugees, asylum seekers and recent migrants find work.
Running December 1-12, Scarf's Do More Than Drink initiative will help raise awareness and funding for young migrants facing barriers to employment. Participating venues — including many Concrete Playground favourites such a Nieuw Amsterdam, Bomba Rooftop, The Beaufort, Belleville, Lily Blacks, Neighbourhood Wine and Gerald's Bar — will put out donation jars and encourage patrons to dig deep. Proceeds will be used to provide migrants with training, mentoring and employment in the hospitality industry.
In addition to the donation jars, participating venues will reach into their tills and donate $1 from each drink sold on the final weekend (December 11-12) of the campaign. Basically, this means you're duty-bound to buy a drink. A move that's assured to give you the aforementioned warm and fuzzies across the bar.
Scarf are also encouraging people to post photos of themselves at the bar tagging @scarfcommunity and using the #domorethandrink hashtag. At the end of the campaign, the three most liked photos will pick up a Scarf prize pack that includes vouchers for one of their regular charity dinner events, plus a couple more bottles of booze. We'll drink to that.
For more information about Do More Than Drink campaign, including the full list of participating bars and information on which day they'll be donating, go here.
Image: Gerald's Bar