Help us to continue supporting refugee families over Christmas
Warmest thanks to all our donors who have enabled us to keep going this year – you are our lifeblood. Unfortunately we need to call on the generosity of Australians once again. The Rapid Response for Refugees Circle (Circle 110) has a crucial role within the Circle of Friends Organisation to be able to move quickly and flexibly in response to urgent requests for assistance. When other Refugee Support Organisations contact us for assistance, we can be confident they’ve exhausted all other options. As always, any amount will help. We have no “Plan B.”
This year with COVID and then more recently the Government’s actions of moving number of people out of Community Detention onto Bridging Visa with no income support has placed higher than usual stress on this Circle’s finances. We urgently need donations to get through the next two months (December – January).
The Rapid Response for Refugees Circle is at present mainly supporting people who have Bridging Visas and lost employment during COVID. We are covering rent and living support for two families, utilities and transport for one family and medical costs for two families.
Other support has included funding driving lessons and car registration for a man whose wife has a serious chronic illness requiring regular hospital visits and/or admissions and where exposure to infections through the use of public transport is to be avoided at all costs, and paying for a training course because the applicant who is the eldest of 9 children, and poor health prevents her parents from working.
All in all at present we are spending nearly $3,000 month to help keep families in a home, give access to vital medicines and to assist in gaining skills necessary for employment.
Given the recent outbreak of COVID in Adelaide, it will be harder for people to gain employment and it is likely that the families we have been assisting are going to need support for at least the next two months. Sadly we do not have enough money to keep supporting families beyond the start of December. Any donations will be greatly appreciated and go directly to the people in need. If you can, please donate via our secure GiveNow page with the reference of Circle 110 to ensure funds are directed to our Circle.