ALTRU FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES MELBOURNE EVENT FOR ATHERTON RESERVE FITZROY ON SUNDAY MARCH 23, HEADLINED BY SAM FISCHER
The dynamic annual free Altru Outreach Festival has today announced its Melbourne party with a purpose for Atherton Reserve, Fitzroy on Sunday March 23. Revolutionising the way society tackles social inequalities, Altru Festival blends festival fun with immediate, on-site access to essential services for at-risk youth and families experiencing housing insecurity and financial hardship. Emceed by music industry icon Poppy Reid (formerly Rolling Stone Australia Editor), the music stage will be headlined by Sam Fischer, Anya Alchemy, David Subritzky, and Taz Zammit, as well as a surprise international artist; hosting a day of joy and support for 3,000+ Melburnians who need it most.
Actively moving awareness into action and celebrating the human beyond their adversity, humanitarian influencer, Altru is providing a day of care and giving – delivering healthcare, mental health support, job training, skill-building opportunities and more — all in a lively, community-centred environment filled with music and entertainment, showing Aussies that it’s cool to care.
Masterminded by Director and Co-Founder, Jessie McLachlan, and blueprinted from its LA sister festival, Skid Row Carnival that services 10,000 at-risk attendees annually, Altru is hosted completely free of charge for those experiencing hardship, with each attendee paired with a volunteer to assist in navigating the service tents that offer real-time, on-site free access to services such as professional wound treatment, eye exams, and even prescription glasses (all within the day), hairdressers, vets, doctors, dentists, welfare services, gifted clothing and shoes, hygiene showbags with daily necessities and more, alongside a stack of family fun for all, including food trucks, Good Grocer and face painting, ensuring every festival-goer leaves not just uplifted, but also supported in tangible, life-changing ways.
Launching in Australia for the first time last year, with its inaugural festival successfully servicing over 2,000 at-risk attendees (with 1,000 volunteers) in Brisbane, Altru will be hosted annually and has events currently slated for Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, with the view of expanding to Adelaide and Perth.
With Australia currently facing a significant economic challenge, the homelessness statistics have skyrocketed, and CHP (Council To Homeless Persons) revealed in their report ‘Employed & At Risk: The new face of homelessness in Victoria’ that a substantial portion of full-time workers are struggling to make ends meet and finding themselves on the streets, stating that working people seeking homelessness assistance grew 14 per cent across the state last year, and reporting that employed people now make up one in eight homelessness service users in Victoria – with 12,146 employed people seeking homelessness assistance last year alone.
Raised to believe that words only have meaning if they’re actioned, Altru Co-Founder (alongside Chris Smith) and Director, Brisbane-born Jessie McLachlan offers insight into why she founded Altru, enthusing, “I am responsible for leaving the world better than I found it. I fundamentally believe that the consideration of others is the silent architecture of society, and we all have a role – big or small – in making the world a little better. And I believe kindness is only learned once it has been experienced, so let’s get giddy on doing good!”
“Music is a universal language that brings people together. One of my favourite moments at the end of every outreach festival is seeing our guests, some with a fresh haircut, a new outfit, and sneakers dancing alongside volunteers. It’s euphoric to witness a sea of humans united. When you intentionally put good into the world, the best of humanity always shows up.”
Altru Festival is now putting a call out for volunteer registration via HUMANITIX, calling on people who want to help bring joy and make a tangible impact by spreading the Altru philosophy that it is cool it is to care.
Reimagining modern charity and setting a new standard for corporate responsibility, Altru is proving that meaningful change is achievable. There is no doubt Altru is more than a charity; it’s a movement.
Altru would like to thank its major sponsors: Amazon, Hatch, HLS Healthcare, Crown Resorts Foundation, Bennet Williams, Condom Hero, Underwear for humanity, Moose toys, Ben & Jerrys, Allens, Converse, Colgate, Cotton on foundation
For more information, visit wearealtru.com/festival
ALTRU FESTIVAL | SUN 23 MAR | ATHERTON RESERVE, FITZROY