Discovering Brunswick — how cozy cafe Home.one is making a positive impact
On a sunny Friday afternoon, I found myself getting off the train and onto a station platform next to mind-blowing murals of street art in every direction. It ranged from simple but creative expressions of someone’s ‘street name’ to delicate works of art. I was nowhere else but Brunswick, home of Melbourne’s street art scene, and a hotbed of grassroots community change for good causes.
Even though significant apartment developments have been happening in recent years, Brunswick has kept its youthful and care-free charm. One such positive impact initiative, and the one which brings me here, is the quaint little cafe Home.one, located right next to Anstey station on Florence Street.
“A lot of people keep coming back and back so you know them and they become your friend.”
Home.one is a unique social enterprise that started less than a year ago. The food is simple but the concept is complex. You can get things like bircher bowls, salads, porridge, and bagels along with coffee of course. Delicious! It’s vegan of course.
But their ethos is about helping those in need. All breakfast profits are donated to Eat Up, an organisation that prepares school lunches and delivers them to hungry children across different schools in Victoria. It donates all the other profits to various initiatives fighting youth homelessness, for example Launch Housing. And now it has partnered with Bring Me Home on its mission to reduce food waste and create a more sustainable Australia.
There is more to Home.one than meets the eye, though. Beyond the mesmerising walls of street art that can be seen around the place, and the occassional rumbling of a train, Home.one really binds the local community together. I had a brief chat with them to find out more.
‘What makes it special working here is the community aspect. A lot of people keep coming back and back so you know them and they become your friend.’
‘We have volunteers who want to be part of the initiative to help others, and it’s a great vibe working here with like minded people. We especially get a lot of people come from the apartments that are just above us.’
‘We’re less than a year old but word is spreading and we hope to grow our impact in the future.’
I really did feel this community vibe. It’s really easy to strike up a conversation here. You can sit on either a bench or a wooden box outside to enjoy the surrounds while sipping on a boiling chai latte. Home.one is not just a cafe. It is literally a home for the people that come every day. That is my impression. And I’ll be back, of course!
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Tristan Pokornyi is a sustainability-minded aspiring writer and startup marketer with a passion for photography and travel.
SOURCES:
Thanks to Photographer Jake Roden for many of the photo contributions https://www.instagram.com/jakeroden/
