Organo Gold is GOLD

I’m so excited I feel like I have won Lotto (I haven’t), I solve a huge problem I had. You know that saying “Good things come to those that wait” It’s true It’s TRUE. Imagine me doing a happy dance Haha

I’ll start at the beginning.

I’ve been doing my BBQ’s now for about 4 ½ years were we give free food, toiletries and much more to Homeless and People in Need every 8 weeks helping between 400-1,000 at a time (Need Help). I still do them. The thing I kept thinking was that yes we were doing an awesome thing but I’m a firm believer in “Give a man a fish and he gets to eat for the day, but if you teach him how to fish then he eats everyday” So I thought of a awesome idea where I put coffee shops together and then using the charity I put together “Signal Flare” and it awesome volunteers help people with everything to get people on their feet like accommodation, hair cut, clothes and really a lot of things that people need, then through the coffee shops give them training to learn a skill that they can take anywhere. But best of all they would be paid above award wages.

So in fact we would have Homeless or People in Need getting on their feet in a huge way and then getting skills they can take anywhere. An awesome idea even if I say so myself. Haha

Now the next bit I write is not in any way meant to be harsh or mean. I’m not complaining or putting any one person down. Just explaining the way it was.

“Having a Go Coffee” was born and yes it had it’s up’s and down’s like any business. But the positives of what this project could do was just too good to not do it.

The problem, Helping people on their feet didn’t mean they were ready to work, some picked up the skills and working idea very well while others umm well not so quick even though they were on good money. For example we had an awesome guy working but anything more than swiping the floor in tasks we were in trouble. I know in time confidence would come and really that was the whole idea of this project. But to stay in operation I had to hire more people to keep get the duties done to still operate as a coffee shop during busy times while I had one or two cleaning and watching. Let’s face it you need someone that can make a coffee in a coffee shop which meant extra wages.

The first store was opened and then the second. Promoting here and elsewhere people loved the idea and people would come all the way from Ipswich (40km) and The Gold Coast (90km) which was awesome but the sad fact was people were not coming in everyday. They were once in a while and because of the distance I really do understand.  

There’s my problem, I had to employ extra staff to keep open while paying for people to get their confidence and then skills. Paying above award wages on too many staff sets business’s back. I wanted to keep the workers with no skills to help them to learn their new skills and stay on their feet. Otherwise there was no reason to have the shop in the first place.

As you can understand this was a huge problem and to make this worst I came up with the idea of having a shop which gives clothes to the Homeless and People in Need for free (Like a Thrift shop but it’s all free to those in need) 7 days a week. Having a Go Coffee would be at the front of the shop selling coffee and making money.

THE SOLUTION: A lady “Janette” came to me saying she had a great idea. Through her I meet an awesome guy “Adrian”. Now I to say the first time I meet Adrian was as a volunteer at our Ipswich Homeless BBQ we had not long ago. He’s very successful as a businessman but I remember that first day him saying “People can make money but if you don’t give back to the community then what’s the point”. We form an amazing friendship and in time brought to me a solution to my problem.

He introduced “Organo Gold”. This is going to help me to help so many more people I really do thing I’m as happy as if I have won Lotto. Okay here’s how it works.

Organo Gold is boxes/ satchels of coffee which our customers that come from local or far away can buy and get it delivered to their house. It means Having a Go Coffee can make money 24hrs and still be able to support the extra staff and helping people from the one location. I had a dream of opening 50 coffee shops and helping thousands of people to get a huge start in life. You see as these people I’ve helped move on the store is still there to help and employ the next person in a huge way.

Now I haven’t enough told you the best bits about Organo Gold. But if I put it in point form people will see different things they like and some maybe not. But point form is easier for me to do it.

·         Organo Gold have their own Fundraising plans, designed to help charities to raise profits

·         Organo Gold is healthy, I know drinking healthy coffee, who thought. But it’s got Ganoderma in it which was a herb that only the Chinese Royal family were allowed to use for centuries. Ganoderma has a nickname “King of herbs” and one thing I know is the Chinese know their herb’s.

·         Organo Gold has only been in Australia for about 12 months and is in 35+ countries around the world.

·         Organo Gold has in their structure to help give back to the community with it’s members helping charities and such, to be honest Organo Gold is sending 20 volunteers to our next Homeless BBQ at Ipswich, Queens park, 10am on the 27^th of April.  

·         I ask about 100 people to try this coffee and only had 4 people say they don’t like it.

·         Comes in different styles

1.      Black Coffee

2.      Cafe Latte

3.      Cafe Mocha

4.      Green Tea

5.      And of course Hot Chocolate.

This is going to save Having a Go Coffee by offering a home delivery as a extra income. It’s now looking at a huge future were I feel nothing can stop it. So if you want to earn extra money doing coffee which nearly everyone drinks or just want to buy it for yourself then please contact me on 0412 190 011 or grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com and let’s show the community coming together to help and please have a cup of coffee.

The reason I promoted Adrian so much is because he gave hundred’s of sample’s which he donated and paid for out of his pocket so I can invite people to try this coffee. If you want to try this coffee I’ll invite you to my place or I’ll come to you and you can invite others to come for a coffee and chat. Very social.

Thank you for reading my blog and I hope you have a great day.

Grant Richards

Grant the Polite Guy

0412 190 011

grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com  

 

 

Let's help someone

I’ve been wanting to write this post for a while now but to tell you the truth it brought anger, a tear of relief and yes I even felt inspired in a way I can’t explain it.

Signal Flare which is the charity I helped to put together with awesome help from smart people has jumped through all the hoops and is now able to give Tax Deductable receipts. We also got all the papers done so we can collect as a charity in public with charity tins. AWESOME. A long time coming but worth it. Thank you Tom and Bernie the Polite Girl for helping me to get this far, I couldn’t have done this without you.

So if you have too much money and want to put it towards an awesome cause that helps people, please email me on grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com About two weeks ago I was collecting with the charity tins at Anzac Park talking to people when I found myself just standing there looking at the back end of the stairs there. You see as the stairs rise it leave a clearing under it which is cover by bushes. All of a sudden floods of memories came as I thought about the time I started hiding of a night-time because of a bad beating I had gotten after sleeping on a bench in the ever same park. You see if you crawl under the stairs there’s heaps of room and because of the bushes no-one can see you and it’s a lot safer.

I used to lay there thinking of all the good things in life and maintaining the thought that I would get on my feet and ( I know how dumb this sounds but true) think about being a “man” again.

I have done so much getting on my feet and helping so many people along the way, that I must say I’m proud of myself and I am a MAN.

I could talk all night about how great I am but really what makes me so proud is talking about all the people that I’ve help get on their feet. I have seen people cry about how their living and just wanting that break or hand up in life. I have seen these people fight their own demons to want to get on their feet. There’s not a switch that they turn on and they start working a full time job and settle down with a wife and kids. It takes hard work and working out within themselves to go as fast as they feel they can.

I have seen some get on their feet fast, fail and get back up and yes seen some fail and quit trying, but really in life we can only ever ask that someone gives their best in life and support them when they are.

I really feel that yes people make mistakes in life but when we give up on them then why should they keep the faith in themselves. I say if someone’s willing to try then the least I can do is say “I will stand by you as long as you don’t quit”. Really sometimes all a person needs is a friend or friendly support.

If you see someone that is trying in life, is it really going to be hard to say “You can do it mate I believe in you”

I’d like to thank you all for reading my blog and I hope you all have a great day.

Grant the Polite Guy

grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com

0412 190 011

Quick SOS

Good Morning, I have a huge SOS for a family with 4 kids (Ages 4 months, 6, 8 and 15). I have helped this family in the past and they are good people.
They hit Christmas and then quickly after cost of school uniform, books, school fees and to make things much worst there car broke down. It just stacked up.
This family held on and held on until they had no hope left and contacted me. They have been given papers which I have seen saying they need to pay $1185.32 today by the end of closing business or they will be evicted and are going to be homeless. I help homeless people all the time and right now I have a chance to help before they hit a very hard rock bottom.
I will not be handing over money to them I will get a money order to go direct to Real Estate. All the people I have friends here know I'm always helping people so please let's help this family.
Grant Richards
Grant the Polite Guy
0412 190 011

All Heart

I know I've talked about heart before and I'm so proud to mention it again.

It is true  in November I hit a hard time and needed to get away from things for a short while. I ended up in Sydney staying in a homeless lodge and trying to find myself again I guess. I really was doing too much with everything.

When I came back to Brisbane I'd plan to open the new coffee store in the Valley late January, which is still going ahead. But I wasn't working and had no income so I went back to the one thing I knew, the Big Issue. This was nothing like what I wanted to do because I'd worked so hard to get on my feet and move on from doing the Big Issue. The way I see it the Big Issue is awesome for helping people to get on their feet and in my mind going back to doing it meant to me I was going backwards after everything I'd done.

Now for my proud moment. I have help so many people from homeless to people in need that within the first hour of me putting on a Big Issue I had 5 homeless which sleeps on the streets come to me being concerned and offering me money to help. Now don't get me wrong I didn't take one coin from them except for one guy "Bruce" who had come and very much insisted about 3-4 times. It got to the point that he was offended that he couldn't help me when I needed help and hitting hard times.

I have to tell you that I've made it clear to him that I have gotten on my feet since and even done the "Pie and Coke" for him just because I felt bad that he had nothing in life and he wanted to repay me in some way for me helping him. I want to make this clear, it made me  feel bad and very very proud at the same time that I had earnt the respect of just some of the people I've helped.

This year is going to be huge and I will help that many more people, not because I feel good about getting respect from people but because the need is out there it's people like you, me, our mums, dads and good people that just need a helping hand when times are down.

I'll ask people that read my blog to think about one thing. If you walk past a person that's homeless or looks like there doing things tough, would it hurt to smile, say "Hi" and buy them something to eat? I can say that the person you do it for will be having a lot better day because of it and it will bring a smile to your face for doing something awesome.

Thank you for reading my blog and I hope you all have a great day.

Grant Richards
Grant the Polite Guy
grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com
0412 190 011

New Year Start

The start of a New Year. I hope everyone had a great holidays and was safe.

I’m excited about the next 12 months coming because I have so many new plans coming into place. In a few weeks a new and exciting shop will open, trust me this one shop is going to help more people in one year then I have helped in the last 4 ½ years since I was homeless. But I’ll say more about this new idea of a shop when I launch it in a few weeks. You’ll be impressed. Haha

“Having a Go Coffee” which I setup as a business that operates as a coffee shop, but only employs people that we have helped who are homeless or people in need and also sell Suspended Coffee which means people can buy an additional coffee for the next homeless or person in need that walks into the shop. Some exciting news to add is that “Having a Go Coffee” will also be doing home delivery for coffee as well. It’ll be great.

In the next 12 months I’m putting 5 shops into place

Valley

Ipswich

Cleveland

Caboolture

Gold Coast

Remember all locations will be a collection place for people to donate clothes and things for the Homeless BQQ’s that we do which homeless and people in need get clothes, toiletries, blankets, kids toys and things free.

On a new topic, I don’t know if anyone will want to read it but I’m starting to write a book about from having everything in life and then an accident which turned to homelessness to Homeless BBQ’s for others to everything I do now. It’ll be awesome. Haha I think I’m doing it mostly for myself because in a way I get a great feeling about what I have done and all the obstacles I’ve overcome. But the most important is I get to write about the awesome friendships I’ve made along the way.

I may never finish it of course but I’d like to think one day it’ll be done.

We are planning our next BBQ for February in Ipswich. I’ll be giving more details as I know more.

I’d like to thank you all for reading my blog and I hope you all have a great day.

Grant Richards

Grant the Polite Guy

0412 190 011

grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com  

Time-out

I am trying very hard to not put the wrong message across. It is true, I have hit some hard times, personal and business, which has given me some setback. I have found myself depressed and feel I need to get away for a couple of weeks to be on my own and take time out for myself.

I do want to make this very clear to everyone and especially the people I have helped that read my blog, I am not giving up, I am not quitting, I just feel burnt out and I am taking a short break. I am going to Sydney to get away from things, and I will have my phone off as I feel that I need to just find myself again.

I have given and done so much to help people, and I know people will want to call or text, and I am asking them now not to. I need time for me.

I hate putting it like this, but I feel I am wanting and needing this time for myself.

I will be back brighter, even bigger smile, and I hope you all have a good day. I am not going to lie, if you have an emergency please do call as I will always be there to help.

Please note the Coorparoo "Having a Go Coffee" shop will be open, please come and get a coffee.

Grant Richards

Grant the Polite Guy

0412 190 011

grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com

A quick post

I was walking through the city this morning and it felt so good, I must say I felt like I was home because of when I was homeless, but I must also say it felt great to remember the past because in some way I felt very proud in myself for getting on my feet and doing what I do.

A guy stopped me walking past BOQ Building and said how he heard about me on the radio and started reading my blog and wanted to say “Hi”. As good as it felt I was also guilty because I started thinking how I don’t write on here as much as what I did as a homeless person.

You see I started thinking of all the things that I can do to help that many more as I know what homeless are going through. I even started thinking that even though my new business “Having a Go Coffee” at Coorparoo is helping people, it’s not enough. So I’m proud to say I’m also working on many new projects at the same time. I won’t say what yet because I’m still working them out. But I will say, each one of my projects will help people on their feet in some way or I wouldn’t put it together.

I have in the past posted on Facebook that the shop in Coorparoo is in fear of closing because it didn’t get enough customers. Well whatever I did was the trick because people came from everywhere and the sales doubled overnight. Thank you for that, it means I can now employ more people after helping them on their feet. There’s a famous saying and that’s “the money has to go into the cash register before money can go out”. Also on a great note the Suspended Coffee’s is in the plus of 28 for the first time which means we can help that many more people. AWESOME.

I have to say I feel like I’m doing something really great knowing I’m helping so many people. Really please everyone that reads this post go out and do just one thing to help someone and see how you feel making a small or big difference to someone you don’t know. I hope you’ll feel like I do and that’s your walking on air and being proud.

I was just thinking of writing a list of all the great things I’ve done to help people in the last 2 weeks, but to be honest just once in a while I want to keep things for just me to know. I will say I’ve helped two people by paying for plane tickets to return home to their families, clothes for people that needed them, furnisher and much more. I would never ask anyone to do something I wouldn’t do.

I hope you all have a great day and thank you for reading my blog.

Grant Richards

Grant the Polite Guy

grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com

0412190011