Grant the Polite Guy's Coffee Cart Start

Oh do I have some great news first. As a lot of you would know at our last BBQ there was Fiona Deadman who produces “The Great South East” T.V show. Well she filmed some of our event and it’s going to be air this Sunday 23^rd on channel 7 at 6:30pm “Dreams for a better world”. I’m excited about it because any awareness this can bring to homelessness in Australia then I’m all for it.

In the past I wrote about putting a coffee cart together. It is a great idea where I only employ homeless or people in need to run it.  I’d quickly help get 2 people on their feet with make-overs and everything they need, then get them the best training (I know a guy that owns a coffee shop and said he’d train all staff for free) then give them a job which earns above award wage working the coffee cart.

But wait it gets better ha ha, from every cup of coffee sold the business would donate 20cents to holding the BBQ’s I do. So really I’d be helping 2 people get on their feet and then every cup of coffee they sold would be helping others to get on their feet as well.

Well the first thing I had to do was get a location. Hey I did it. I have 2 great locations which have agreed to having the cart there. Next thing I’d need is to confirm the training the people would need. I have done that and I myself will be doing it (So I know what I’m talking about and I can help others when asked) in the first week of January.

Now all I need is the carts. I have collected some money (Thank you Sally and others). I sat down and worked out with Nathan (coffee shop guy) that with signs, jugs and a whole lot of different things I’d need $5500 more for each cart and that’s getting someone to make it because brand new there about $12,000.

I’m not doing this to just help people get on their feet, I’m doing it to help so many people to change their lives in such a more positive way and the good thing is if people choose to move on to bigger and better things then hey I can help another homeless or person in need right away. But the best thing here is people will be getting a chance in life and learning skills and have a great start in hospitality industry that they can take anywhere.

I ask you this, if you haven’t already spent all your money on Christmas yet then maybe consider donating using the donating button or email grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com me for bank details. I’m going to make next year a great year for people who want to get on their feet by helping people with a hand up, not by giving them a hand out.

Thank you for reading my blog and I hope you all have a great Christmas and New Year, But of all things please be safe over the holidays.

Grant the Polite Guy

grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com

0412 190 011.

Bernie the Polite Girl's first BBQ

I know I have talked about pride before, in fact many times. Ha ha. But I once again feel nothing but pride again. The BBQ was a huge success. We didn’t get the numbers I wanted but hey I always want more so we can help more. If thousands turning up than I’d want more. A lot of people that turned up did get help and for some in a huge way. To me that’s what it’s all about.

As you would expect Bernie the Polite Girl, me and of course my little daughter “Jasmine the Polite Little Girl” turned up first about 7:30am with marquees and tables with the help of a few helpers. I remember thinking as we started about how my health has been bad with my back and the Leukaemia treatments and the fact that ‘Bernie the Polite Girl’ had done most of the work putting all this together, this is it, we have planned and worked hard for this day and all of us seemed excited that we were going to help so many. Which to me was nothing but heart.

Dalton’s Hospitality’s made an entrance with 5 big vehicles holding the kitchen for this event and all I could think of was how huge and great this is going to be. Now I’ve done a few of these BBQ’s and every-time it’s getting better. I know some really great people now too.

This being a bigger event then I have ever done Bernie the Polite Girl and I worked as a team putting everything together, the kitchen, marquees, tables, all the organizations set up their stalls to give information about their services, clothes were stacked up at the ready to given away for free, and the music was playing. We were ready.

We started being so proud that so many helpers came and gave up their time to help people in need when they needed it most. Bernie the Polite Girl and I kept putting homeless people with working people and saying things like “could you go with (name of person) and help him to get clothes and anything he needs please.” The idea is that a homeless person would not be alone and have what we thought was like a Buddy System. In a lot of cases it worked well and we could see working people sitting and talking with homeless on an equal level. As one unit.

The reason we thought this was such a great idea was because we thought if the homeless person felt more uplifted having a friend and talking to someone who was there to help and not care that they were homeless. (really anyone that came to help wanted to help someone that was homeless so why would they) Now I can’t take credit for this because it was Bernie’s idea. I think it worked well.

There was another reason and that’s, that we felt if working people spend more time with a or many homeless then it would hit home more about what it is like to be homeless. More of an understanding and some of the reasons why they were homeless.

We had many people thank us on the day and for some saying “It really opened my eyes, thank you for putting this event together” that’s working people thanking me for being able to help homeless and see why they were in the position they were in.

Come on guys we don’t need to put on an event for you to see or help homeless, these homeless people are someone’s Brothers, Sisters, Mothers, Grand Parents.

I’d like to let people know that I didn’t do this on my own, I reached out and some amazing organizations banded together and said I’m there and helping anyway we can. These guys are who really put these BBQ’s together. All heart, I owe them so much for what they do. This is really the community coming together to help. But the one person that did more than anyone even me was Bernie the Polite Girl. I’m sure this event wouldn’t have happened without her working so hard. I can’t thank her enough.

Our Major Contributors are:

Craig from Connected.

This guy has help since my very first BBQ and really helped me out when I got started. Awesome with everything he does. I’m proud just to know him.

Dalton’s Hospitality.

 

 

Jerome Dalton is a legend with the golden heart he has. When Jerome found out about this event he raised his hand and said he’d take care of all food for a 1,000 homeless. He brought his amazing crew of Dalton’s Hospitality with all equipment for the day. It was 5star food and fresh juice making machines drinks all the way. While working hard getting all the cooking done Jerome also meet Wayne (a guy very much down on his luck and gave him a job to start the next day) I’m writing this in more detail later on.

Now when the event was done and finished Jerome’s crew packed up and finished, but this amazing guy stayed back to help us pack too. I am hard to impress, but with everything Jerome done I was impressed. I am proud to call Jerome a mate. Thank you

A & G Insurance

 

 

I contacted Ram (CEO of A & G Insurance) the guy right away wanted to know what he could do to help with this amazing event. They supplied a huge tent for shade and paid for the bus hire so we could pick people up and return from the Valley and Spring Hill. Now if that was it well awesome. But no Ram with the help of Robert put together 25 staff to come as helpers on the day and yes Ram and Robert were one of the first at the event. Bernie the polite Girl and I was proud to introduce them to many homeless. I think both Ram and the homeless got a lot out of it on the day.  Thank you

Streetsmart

 

 

Are an amazing organization which donated $500 towards this event and helped to promote the event which Bernie put this together and did all the work with this one. Streetsmart are going to be meeting us in the future to help us to get better results. We need all the help we can get. Ha ha. Thank you

 

 

Second Bite.

 

 

These guys are so good, they turned up with ONE TONNE of fruit for this event and really helped make this event that much more awesome. Once again Bernie did all the contacts and made this happen. Thank you

 

There were so many organizations that came and even people that helped in such a huge way on their own. I thank you and will get to write about a lot of you as I go.

Wayne the Man.

 

Wayne lives in a lodge which his long term girlfriend lives in a lodge next door because it’s cheaper for them. These lodges are cheap but not nice. But there better off than being on the streets.

Wayne is the type of the guys we are always looking for when trying to help someone because all he talked about is getting on his feet and getting over the hard times he’s facing. I told him to come to the BBQ and we could help with job interview clothes and things like that. Well he turned up and went straight for the clothes and I noticed that he really was looking for job interview clothes.

I was busy with everything else with the BBQ but I pulled Wayne aside and said mate does it matter what kind of work your looking for? He said Grant I just want to get on my feet as soon as I can. I asked him to wait seated for a moment and went straight to my mate Jerome Dalton and said “Mate I have someone just down on his luck, but I really think he’s trying so would you consider just talking to him?” Jerome looked around at all the people in need and said right away “Of course mate I’d be happy to”

They meet and sat on the grass to talk. Wayne came to me hugged me, thanking me many times and was so excited to be having a job. He started to tear up and I quickly told him not to because we have to quickly get him work clothes and shoes for kitchen work, but the real reason was if he started tears then I would too because I was so happy for him. We got him clothes and the right shoes for him. He continued to thank me many of times when I stopped him and said “Mate I need a favour” he said “anything Grant” I said “Mate get on your feet and then come back and help someone else on the next BBQ” He hugged me again and said “Mate you got it”

I have a tear now because while writing this 5 days after that event, I know he worked everyday and done 35 hours. Jerome is happy with him and I know it’s a great start for Wayne to get on his feet. I wish Wayne all the best and I’ll always be here if he falls off the tracks again.

This is why I do these BBQ and help people, because people get help.

I know a lot of people have sent me a mountain of emails saying how great I was because of this event, I wish I could take the credit but I can’t because Bernie the Polite Girl did most of planning and putting it all together. She even put together most of the organizations that came. My health has be pretty bad so I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her.

Bernie the Polite Girl will be taking over these BBQ’s as my replacement, but don’t worry I will always be here to help her with everything I have as well. I just want to make sure these events go on because we do help so many.

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

Grant the Polite Guy

Email and Facebook grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com

Twitter @grantpoliteguy

24 hours before BBQ

Well I’ve been here many of times before,2am and 24 hours before putting on a BBQ for the homeless and worrying about if there’s enough food, drinks, clothes, chairs, marquees, toiletries, helpers and of course is there enough homeless and people in need to help. You see I only do this to help as many people as I can, not to see how big I can put an event together.

 

I know how these events have helped so many people in the past and I couldn’t be prouder to know I never done it for them, but to have helped them to do it themselves.

 

I was just reminded about a saying something I’d say a lot a year ago and it seems to fit perfectly right now. “Sometimes just saying Hi could be that turn around for someone in life because someone cares.” I really think that’s why these BBQ’s are so successful. We have a homeless person sitting eating a hamburger next to a working person eating a hamburger and talking. Trust me some of it rubs off and a lot of homeless and people in need start feeling more value in themselves and head towards getting on their feet.

 

At these BBQ’s I’m always looking for the ones that really want to get on their feet and then I grab them and really start to help them as much as I can without looking like I’m doing it for them. I feel if a person feels they didn’t do it themselves then they will think they couldn’t have done it and soon believe it’s okay to fail because they weren’t ready.

 

This is the biggest event I have ever put together, I mean we expect 1,000 homeless/ people in need turning up. There’s more organizations coming and because we had to change our date I lost one of my biggest backers. OHNO. Ha ha

 

In a way I can’t wait until tomorrow morning at the start of the event, because then there’s two things happening.

1/ what is there is there and I done the best I could and I stop worrying about what is needed, because it’s too late.

2/ Once everything is setup then there’s only helping people left to do and that’s what all this work is for.

 

I got to say seeing homeless and people in need picking up clothes and things and being helped by all the helpers around them is one of the most joyest moments there is for me.

 

I have to make this post short because I have so much to do and I started writing this as a break from everything. But I only have 24 hours left and too much to do.

 

Thank you very much for reading my blog and if you can come down and give a hand for this event please do. I hope you all have a great day.

 

BBQ for the Homeless

Musgrave Park

10am to 2pm Sunday 2 Dec

 

Grant the Polite Guy from the Polite Team

0412 190 011

grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com

Twitter @grantpoliteguy

Bigger BBQ, Need Help Please

Most people that know me say “Grant you do a great thing!” To tell you the truth I feel guilty sometimes because, well yes I am always trying to help but I couldn’t do it without the help of everyone else coming together as a community. Just to give you an idea I’m going to mention a wonder just wonder person Kitty Art (Facebook name)

Kitty Art Helps with our Facebook events page https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/493716907326056/501990626498684/?notif_t=event_mall_reply now when I say helps I mean she started it and keeps it running. A lot of people know I’m not good with computers and really don’t like them that much. Face to face in person is much better and personal. Ha ha.

I’m famous for doing my ‘Pie and Coke’ were I buy a homeless person a meal and just sit and listen while they eat. I give them a mate to talk too and also sometimes help them to get on their feet but just talking. When their ready to get on their feet I’m there waiting with my ‘Pie and Coke’ to help.

Kiity Art called me and I told her I needed help with my phone (Yes it’s like a computer, haha). Right away Kitty Art asks me to meet her and starts working on it. Soon later we are walking to the best pie shop in Brisbane to get pies and coke for ourselves Kitty Art pays and then puts a $100 on store credit so I can do my ‘Pie and Coke’ more often. You see up until now I have always paid for the meals from working as a Big Issue seller.

Now I must say I did celebrate by doing ‘Pies and Cokes’ for 5 homeless people in 2 days already. One thing I do know and that’s, my calling is to help people in need when they need it most and one thing that’s for sure, I couldn’t have done it over the last 2 days without Kitty's help because I didn’t make enough money to do so.

So please when you think I do a lot of good for the homeless please think of people with a huge heart like Kitty Art Because I do.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now I know a lot of you know about my BBQ’s for the homeless and people in need. But just in case I’m going to recap on what we do, because I need help.

Homeless and people in need come to the BBQ event were all the food and drinks are free and there’s tables and tables of clothes, toiletries, kids toys, blankets/sleeping bags and much more are given free with only one condition and that’s “If they can carry it it’s free”

Here at these events it’s the community coming together to help, I ask thousands of people to donate clothes and everything needed for it. So when I say it’s the community coming together to help I’m right because it’s where I get everything.

Now the benefits of this event is we get clothes and everything needed to help the homeless while looking for the ones that want to get on their feet. That’s when I do my best work because I’ll help someone get on their feet with everything I have or can get hold of.

But I guess one of the most important things about these BBQ’s is you have working people sitting down eating and talking to a homeless person eating and both chatting. Trust me when I say some rubs off and the homeless starts to really feel more a part of society. Well that’s be aim.

Next event:

Musgrave Park
2^nd of December
10am to 2pm

Now to mention a minor problem. These BBQ’s are getting a lot bigger than before and even though we have Dalton Hospitality helping with cost we need around $1500 more to pay for more food and drinks. I guess 1000 homeless eat and drink a lot. Ha ha. Now I must say I thought of asking one or two people to try and pay this than I thought why should one or two people pay so much when there’s so many people willing to help and feel good that they are doing something so great.

So I’m thinking if 30 people donate $50 then we will have the $1500 needed and it’ll be even more like the community is coming together to help. Now I know $50 is a lot of money but really look what we are going to do with it.

There’s even more of a need for people to come on the day and help out now because there’s going to be that many more homeless.

Now I have a donation button on this blog if easier, but please mention that your donation is for BBQ. I work the city most weekdays at Post Office Square on Queens St if people want to hand to me or on the 30^th of Nov I’m collecting whatever clothes, toiletries, blankets/sleeping bags, tin food, anything people want to donate and of course money for the extra food and things that come up on the day.

I’d like to thank everyone for reading this blog and I hope you all have a great day, remember on the 2^nd of Dec at Musgrave Park there’s a great BBQ to help people in need when they need it most. So please come and help out on the day and show the community coming together.

I would like to add that any monies left over will be going towards getting a Christmas Ball which we will put a homeless person’s name on it and hand out on the day.

Grant the Polite Guy from The Polite Team

grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com
0412 190 011

Balls for Homeless

As people know I was asking for clothes and things for 3 homeless people who had lost everything over the weekend. The results were fantastic, Help came from everywhere and most of all that were lost were replaced. I have to say there’s nothing worst then being down on your luck and then trying to put together a few things just to live only to lose it all. I keep saying I wish people could come with me to hand things like this out because their smiles and the thank you’s makes my so proud of what I do. Helping people in need.

 

I would like to say a few words about 4 amazing people that went far and beyond anything I asked for.

 

Rachel Turner

Rachel Turner caught a train to the city and handed me lots of beautiful clothes and told me all about how she had just rescued a dog from the pound. Very proud as she showed me pictures as well. An amazing person.

Yvonne Jones through her contacts with the Rotary Club organised Shelter Paks which as you can see with the pictures have a huge amount of goodies and much needed things when being homeless. So I say every time you see a Rotary collections or fundraiser, please remember these Paks and know they do help. But what makes Yvonne so great? Well she picked them up and then drove to the city from Redcliff just to hand these Paks out so people in need could have them. Awesome in my book.

Making a Difference, I have written about before and once again they came and helped when people in need needed them. They asked all their members and collect clothes for three homeless that lost everything. I say “Thank you”

Oddur Thomas Augustsson or “Tom” for short is a very good mate of mine. He’s helped many of times with different things to do with the homeless, also he’s one of my best customers who buys my magazines and Amway products. But this day to help 3 people he’ll never meet he went out and bought clothes and from home got a towel and things as well. The guy is awesome and I’m proud to call him a mate.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Now I’ve been so excited to share this news, but I couldn’t because I wanted to make sure it was all going together properly first. Christmas BBQ for the Homeless.

 

I am all about showing the homeless that the community is coming together to help with these events. I thought about Christmas and was thinking what a better time to do it. Really Christmas time is about families and friends coming together.

 

How to make it so homeless get the Christmas feeling? We will give the homeless balls. Haha Stop laughing it’s Christmas Balls I’m talking about. I’m thinking we get a art pen and write their name on them and give a ball and a Christmas card. Now I just had a heart felt moment of thinking, if even just one person keeps that ball and looks at it or even hangs it up on Christmas Night then it’ll be worth it to hand them out.

 

So what do we need to put this BBQ event together for maybe 1,000 homeless and people in need?

 

Clothes and lots of them,

Blankets and sleeping bags

Toiletries

Drinks (Bottled water/ soft drinks)

Christmas balls

Christmas cards

A mountain of helpers to hand out flyiers before the event to homeless

A mountain of helpers on the day

Flyiers made up

Beer for Grant for doing great job. Haha

I would put food and insurance but it’s taken care of by Jerome Dalton from Dalton’s Hospitality. (There awesome)

 I will be collecting clothes and things for this event on the 30th of Nov at Queen st outside Post Office Square before 2pm. Or please bring to the event on the day. (Much easier)

Now remember our golden rule, it’s all they can eat and all clothes and everything there is free if they can carry it. We have had such success with these BBQ’S and helped so many people with just clothes and things, for some helping to get on their feet. I must say it makes me proud that people like you make this happen. Let’s band together and show the community coming together.

 

For a more up to dates about this BBQ please go to

https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/493716907326056/ 

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

SOS Helping 3 homeless

I have an SOS emergency, this is why people follow so please help. Today 3 homeless came to me at different times and told me how they lost all their clothes and bags over the weekend. This struck me as odd because well yes even I lost bags of clothes and in fact everything I own when I was homeless but it was strange that 3 would on the same weekend.  

They weren’t together so I thought some asshole went around collecting for himself/herself or just to throw out as a mean thing to do.

So he’s my SOS, I know there’s nothing like losing everything you have over and over again. So I’m collecting clothes and much needed things for them. I have given a few things I had stored in the city for tonight.

Male Clothes:

Shorts, Shirts and a Jacket, X-Large

Toiletries.

 

2* 1Female Clothes:

Undies size 12.

Shirts, pants and skirts size 12-14

Bra’s 14c

Toiletries for girls

Luggage Bags

 I will say when your homeless and you have only a few things in life, you try hard to protect them well. But when you lose them again and your left with nothing but the clothes on your back then let’s just say it’s not a good feeling. So if you have these sizes or things and you don’t want, then please bring them to me over the next two days at Post Office Square on Queens St, I’m the polite guy selling Big Issue magazines from 6:30-2pm.

I want to make this short and get the message out as soon as possible so I’ll end it here.

Thank you for reading this post and I hope you all have a great day.

Grant the Polite Guy.

                                                 

Dalton Hospitality

One our first blog posts for The Polite Team,

Okay I’m so excited with everything happening over the last 24 hours. But first this is going to be the first joint written post by Bernie the Polite Girl and myself. I would really like to know in the comments if you like it or if better we do our own posts?

You know when you raise your fist in the air because you’re so excited? Well because of my back I raised it to shoulder height. But I raised it about 100 times in the last 24 hours. I even done a lot of “YEAH” at the same time. Okay let me just say I got such great news I’m doing it again now. haha

Yesterday I meet up with Jerome Dalton in the city to talk about Dalton’s Hospitality (https://www.facebook.com/DaltonHospitality?ref=stream) being a major sponsor for our new charity and helping with BBQ’S that we do.

The guy is amazing, Loves what we do and is offering to cook and bring chef’s to come too. But wait it gets better, He’s offering to bring all food, orange juice machines to make fresh orange juice on the day, tables and a whole lot more. But the one thing that has me excited the most is the fact that Dalton’s Hospitality can use their insurance to cover our BBQ’S. Which will save us so much money which we will not need to beg for each time we do a BBQ. AWESOME. Haha

To be honest I feel like it’s Christmas already. Haha

So I’m saying to all, Please, if this guy is going to help us with helping the homeless and people in need, then let’s pump his hospitality business with everything we have. So please go to his web-page and share and promote it with me.

The rest of this post is going to be by Bernie the Polite Girl. Even I want to read this. Haha I hope she don’t make me look bad with using bigger words. haha

Written by Grant the Polite Guy. I hope you all have a great day and thank you very much for reading my blog.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Bigger words aye… Haha. I don’t think so J Grant has already said it above. Oh, if you could feel the buzz right now! The Polite Team has some wonderful events in the pipeline – watch this space – and it is just so exciting to see things come together more and more. Meeting great people over coffee during their lunch break to brain storm, get ideas and working them out is a privilege. Having the honour of those people selflessly offering their assistance at no cost to help make our events special and memorable for the homeless, is heart-warming. I am seeing the world through rosy-coloured glasses right now because I know there is so much goodness around. Believe me, there is more good happening in the world than the media are letting on.

It is a privilege to be part of the polite Team (thank you, Grant), as I get to see so much of the goodness and to meet so many more people with their hearts in the right place. Take earlier this week. We met with people who work in the CBD and who spent their lunch break discussing ideas with us and developing “where-to-from-here” plans in order to help our next two events materialize and to make them special and memorable for the people they are aimed at. And only yesterday Grant met with Jerome Dalton, Director/Chef at Dalton Hospitality, one of Brisbane’s premier catering companies. Grant wrote about the incredible result of his meeting with Jerome above, so no need for me to repeat it, but boy, what great news it is. I encounter so much goodwill from people it’s like being in love J

For more information about Dalton Hospitality please go to http://daltonhospitality.com.au/  or to the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/DaltonHospitality?fref=ts  Dalton Hospitality is also on Twitter: @Daltoncatering. When you visit these Facebook or Twitter accounts, please say “Hi” from the Polite Team J

I am only a starter in this area of homelessness and, as I said in my Intro, homelessness has not always been on my radar, but I do believe that not in every corner is it the taboo it is in some others: there is a lot of support out there. As Grant often says, people often say to him they want to help but they don’t know how. If you are one of these people, I’d like to say, watch this space J

Written by Bernie the Polite Girl