What we do

How we do it

Friendship and practical support for refugees and people seeking asylum.

• Refugees living in the Blue Mountains, West and South West Sydney are offered friendship, connection to services and practical help through our trained volunteer visitors
• Practical assistance includes;
  • connection to local services, food, help dealing with bureaucracy, education legal matters and service providers, assistance with utilities, rent and medical costs, warm clothing and no-interest loans.
  • re-purposed phones and computers.
  • Christmas presents for refugee children from local school students
• Refugees in detention prisons are befriended by our visitors who;
  • stay in contact via phone and social media and visit where possible.
  • provide phone recharges, presents at Christmas, birthday cards, warm clothes and incidentals.
  • assistance with legal matters from our experienced qualified members.

Enabling refugees to thrive, not just survive as they develop their own activities, skills and businesses. through:

• No interest loans
• Assistance with employment and further training
• the cars for refugees project has enabled people to access work, start businesses, access cheaper food and social supports
• Ocean 12 Tamil Asylum Seekers Cricket Team
• Tamil women’s walking group for those isolated in south western Sydney begun with help from one of our visitors.
• Swimming lessons for refugee children grew out of the concern of parents that, as non-swimmers themselves they were unable to teach their children to swim
• Refugees have started their own businesses with support from our members

Educating the community about refugee issues and advocating for just and compassionate policies at all levels of government, through

• Giving refugees a voice and educating and informing the public through print, radio and social media.
• Providing public education through special events with prominent public speakers, fundraising, music events, art shows, movie nights, vigils, demonstrations, school video competitions, providing speakers for schools, community groups and faith groups.
• Advocate for fair treatment of those seeking asylum through engagement with our Local State and Federal politicians.
• Focusing on issues raised by our refugee friends and the wider refugee support community we inform and advocate through our writing group, submissions and letters to government and participation in larger forums such as Rural Australians for Refugees, the Asylum Seekers Interagency and Sydney Alliance.