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Welcome to another Feel-Good Friday, where the vibes are free and so is the chicken. This week, we’re highlighting Hoodies for Homelessness, a damn good initiative to help clothe young people stuck on our streets, as well as directions to a couple places to get a free meal this weekend.
Plus, if you’ve ever wanted to know what a ‘reverse cloakroom’ is, now’s your chance. Welcome to Feel-Good Friday!
Melbourne Streetwear Brand HoMie Launches Hoodies for Homelessness
To quote Game of Thrones, winter is coming and while that might spark images of snuggling up by the heater and wrapping yourself in blankets, spare a thought for those doing it tough. Recent studies have shown that more than 122,000 Australians are without a home, and over a quarter of them are under 25. Youth unemployment is twice the national average, rents have surged 54 per cent since 2020, and Youth Allowance sits at just $47 a day.
For young people who experience youth homelessness, the challenges of finding meaningful employment, a warm place to stay and a safe domicile are becoming increasingly complex. It’s something that Marcus Crook, co-founder of streetwear label and social enterprise HoMie is looking to change.
The Melbourne-based creative has just launched its 2025 Hoodies for Homelessness campaign, combining streetwear and social impact with a limerick that’s stumping the nation: “How much good could a good hood do, if a good hood could do good?” For every limited-edition hoodie sold, HoMie’s principal partner, Champion, will donate another to a young person affected by homelessness or hardship.
“At HoMie, our hoodies do good,” Crook said. “We’ve seen over the last decade that employment really does have the potential to break the cycle of homelessness. Paid work builds confidence and connections, and that’s what Hoodies For Homelessness is all about, everyone coming together to build a brighter future for the young people in our community.”
Since launching in 2022, Hoodies for Homelessness has sold over 7,000 hoodies raising over $772,000 to support HoMie’s youth employment programs. Each year, the campaign has grown in scale and impact, not only putting warm hoodies on the backs of young people, but creating paid job opportunities and long-term pathways out of homelessness.
This year’s collection features bold hoodie designs in green, blue, and white marle, available from May 31 until June 14, 2025. Supporters are encouraged to join in the fun by filming themselves reciting the tongue-twister – “How much good could a good hood do, if a good hood could do good?” – and posting it on social media, tagging @homie.com.au. The tongue twister isn’t just a verbal challenge; it aims to spark vital conversations about the reality of youth homelessness during one of the toughest times to be young and without stable housing.
Pappa Flock is Giving Away Free Chicken Tendies
We’re a big fan of fried chicken here at Man of Many—Monday Munchies should attest to that already—and now you can go get some of our favourite chicken for free: Sydney-based Pappa Flock’s is opening its 9th store this Saturday, 14 June at Marrickville, and every person in line before midday is getting a free Flock Box voucher.
The Flock Box is made up of three chicken tenders (either classic or spicy), along with seasoned chips, buttery toast, some tangy signature sauce, and a regular drink. We’ve tried it, it’s delicious. Plus, the voucher technically doesn’t expire for an entire year, so if you wanted to jump in line at 11:55, get the voucher and bounce that’s fine too.
If that wasn’t enough, the first 50 customers of the day will get their hands on exclusive, limited-edition Pappa Flock merchandise, like a football jersey designed by local artist and ex-Mambo art director Brent Smith.
If you’d prefer to head in on Sunday, you’ll be able to get your hands on a free lemonade with any meal purchase (until they run out), so you’re set for freebies throughout the whole weekend.
Austrian Motorsport Royalty Takes on Le Mans for a Good Cause
Ahead of the iconic endurance spectacle Le Mans, Alpine Hypercar driver Ferdinand Habsburg has announced a new partnership that is set to drive serious change. The Austrian star has teamed up with international charity Mary’s Meals to launch ‘Race for Meals’, a unique fundraising campaign that transforms every lap of the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans into an opportunity to fight child hunger.
“This campaign is a way for me to give back while doing what I love,” Habsburg said. “It’s more than a race. It’s a chance to make every lap count for something far greater.”
A hunger solution charity, Mary’s Meals provides life-changing daily meals to children in the world’s poorest communities. According to the organisation, a donation of just €22 is enough to feed a child for an entire school year, but with the help of Ferdinand, who won Le Mans in 2021, Mary’s Meals is hoping to raise much more than that. Through this campaign, fans and supporters can sponsor each lap Ferdinand and the #35 Alpine crew complete at Le Mans, turning race distance into hope.
An anonymous sponsor has already pledged to match all donations, doubling the number of children who can be fed through this initiative, while French cosmetic brand Clarins Group has committed to contributing an additional €22 for every lap completed. This means that for every single lap Ferdinand and the #35 crew drive, three children will receive meals for a full year. Best of all, Ferdinand has pledged to donate his winner’s bonus should he claim victory again this year.
“Of all of the causes in the world to fight for, bringing food to starving children whilst also educating them seems to me the first and most urgent need to conquer. It is a mission everyone can get behind, it is not only important but also unifies us,” Ferdinand said. “It is our individual responsibility to help others when we can. Time in motorsport is limited, but we have a platform. It’s up to us to know what to do with our responsibility.”
To find out more about Ferdinand’s partnership with Mary’s Meals, or to donate yourself, visit the website below and tune in. You can donate €22 per lap to sponsor a child’s meals for a year and track Ferdinand’s progress live during the race. A counter on the official campaign site will show how many laps have been completed and how many children have been sponsored. In last year’s race, the winning car completed 311 laps, which would be the equivalent of over 900 children fed, thanks to matched donations.
Mary’s XV Goes Full Brekkie-Mode Next Week
If chicken tendies aren’t your thing, maybe some delicious breakfast is more up your alley? Our friends over at Mary’s Victoria Cross, North Sydney, are delivering an absolutely banging brekkie pop-up all through next week: with breakfast sandwiches, brekkie burgers, stacked hotcakes, and, of course, coffee on display.
Plus, Mary’s is teaming up with Grumpy Donuts and Coffee Supreme to offer a $5 coffee + donut combo, with the first 50 people to order each weekday getting their coffee and donut free.
But the fun doesn’t end on Friday, with a special weekend menu kicking off with bottomless mimosas and bloody marys, cinnamon donut french toast with soft serve, and breakfast cereal-themed thick-shakes, such as Coco Pops, Milo, and Fruit Loops. My mouth is watering just writing this stuff out.
The ‘Wake the Hell Up’ breakfast pop-up kicks off on Monday, 16 June, and runs through Sunday, 22 June.
Sip and Swap in Style at Espolòn’s Reverse Cloakroom
Split across both Sydney and Melbourne, Espolòn Tequila is partnering with Second Life Markets to bring cocktail culture and vintage fashion together in it’s ‘Reverse Cloakroom’ activations.
Essentially, you’re tasked with heading to a particular venue on particular days (more details below), where you’ll order an Espolòn Tequila cocktail and be given a randomly-numbered cloakroom ticket. That ticket can be used to redeem a “one-of-a-kind vintage” piece of clothing, provided by Second Life Markets.
The Lord Gladstone in Chippendale is hosting the event in Sydney across the 15, 26, and 27 June, while Melbourne’s Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy is playing host to the reverse cloakroom on 22 and 29 June, as well as 6 July.
Plus, you’ll be able to take in a full program of Boiler Room-style DJ sets at each venue, so even if you don’t get the vintage silk scarf you were hoping for you can still get your boogie on.
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