MELINA SCHAMROTH,
37 Richmond, Vic
Why she's an action figure Schamroth founded Single Volunteers: speed dating events that involve preparing meals for the homeless.

Her day job CEO of madwoman.com.au.

Why we admire her

At the start of 2008, Melina Schamroth was "suddenly single". But instead of wallowing on the couch with Tim Tams and SATC DVDs, she devised a plan. "I didn't want to speed-date or be set up," she says. "That's not me. Instead, I created a new business around it. I've always been passionate about making a difference and wanted to meet someone like-minded." Enter Single Volunteers. Like speed dating, singles meet each other, and get contact deets of matches. But there's a twist: it happens in a kitchen while cooking food for for the homeless, or at a conservation park pulling weeds. "It's a real leveller: there's no alcohol, you're wearing a baseball cap and apron. It's more like a third or fourth date," says Schamroth.

How she did it

"I met with Marcus Godinho, the CEO of Fare Share (fareshare.org.au), an organisation that rescues surplus food from wholesalers, caterers and farmers before it goes to landfill. Like eggs that are too small, vegetables with a blemish - perfectly good food," explains Schamroth. "They were already set up with a kitchen and volunteers, and giving meals to about 100 agencies that distribute the food." After she begged people to come, the first Cooking for a Cause night was held in March 2008 in Melbourne. "Once it hit the media, it took off. For the last event, I had 800 people on the waiting list," says Schamroth. On one night, Single Volunteers can cook up to 700 meals.

What she's accomplished

One year on, Single Volunteers now hosts events in Sydney, and Schamroth is hoping to expand into other states, "because interest grows at a rate of 50 to 100 people per day," she says. "I'm also hosting same-sex and over-45s singles events. Events were monthly; now I might run a few in a week. What started as me looking for a new boyfriend has turned into a full time job." The feedback is overwhelming. "Every person that's come to an event has said they want to come to another one. People do want to contribute to society - meeting someone is a bonus." Through her philanthropy business, m.a.d.woman ("mad" stands for "making a difference"), Schamroth self-published two "cheekily-written but ultimately serious" books about how to be green and contribute to the community ($10, madwoman.com.au). They're printed with soy ink using a waterless process on recycled paper and half the proceeds go back into social and environmental programs. She's also promoting the Earthmaker (earthmaker.com.au), a compost bin that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. "We got it into Bunnings nationally, so that's a big coup," says Schamroth. As for the boyfriend search? It worked: she's been seeing Dave for almost six months.

The future

Next, Schamroth's creating a sensory garden for patients with acquired brain injuries at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and she's established Gals Doin' Good: volunteering while networking with other women. But her biggest hurdle in the future will be getting cashola. "At the moment I just work by myself; I would like some help. I fall through the cracks for funding because I don't fit into a particular box." But she'll keep plugging away. "I do it because I'm passionate about it. I had a long, corporate career [in journalism, PR and marketing] before I did this, and even though this isn't the most lucrative thing I've ever done, I'm the happiest I've ever been."

ACT NOW!

HOOK UP
Do your bit and bag a bloke. Sign up for Cooking for a Cause or Speed Weeding in Melbourne or Sydney, at madwoman.com.au.

Half the proceeds from each event go to charity.

DO YOUR BIT

Want to pitch in, minus the singles bit? Log on to govolunteer.com.au to find vacant volunteer jobs near you. You can search by organisation or position.

FEED YOUR FACE
And someone else's.Pop by one of 70-plus SumoSalad branches: from May, for every organic soup sold, another one will be donated to the homeless through the Salvos. SumoSalad is expecting to give away over 50,000 bowls of the stuff.