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The difference Circle of Friends makes – a personal thank you

Circle of Friend has recently received two lovely thank you messages which are shared below as this is as much a thank you to all our donors and supporters as is it is to the volunteers in Circle of Friends.

Message 1

Hamid (name changed for privacy) has been financially supported (rent, medical and living expense) by the Emergency Response Circle, SOS for Refugees Circle and the Willunga Circle for several years. He is one of the small number of people, not on Nauru or Manus Island, who recently received there Resolution of Status (ROS) Visa and has now found a job.

This is the heartfelt email Circle of Friends received from him.

Subject: Thankful for the helping

Hi Circle of friends group

I hope you are all doing well.

I wanted to sincerely thank you for all the support you have given me over the past months. When I was going through a very difficult time without a visa and without work, your kindness and generosity made a huge difference in my life. I will never forget the help and compassion you showed me. I am truly grateful to every one of you.

I’m happy to let you know that I started a new job. Because of this, I no longer need the ongoing payments, and I would like to ask you to stop them after one final payment, if possible.

The only reason I’m asking for one last payment is that my new job pays monthly, and I won’t receive my first salary until the end of this month. One final payment would help me get through until then. After that, I will be financially independent and won’t require any further assistance.

Thank you again from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done for me. Your support has helped me through one of the hardest periods of my life, and I will always remember your kindness.

With sincere gratitude,

Hamid (name changed for privacy)

Message 2

An Afghani mother of four has been trying to save from her Centrelink income to bring her husband to Australia.  She was $4,000 short of his Visa costs and feeling hopeless and discouraged.    Her counsellor at STTARRS contacted the Emergency Response Circle to see if Circle of Friends could help.  An appeal was sent out and three Circles responded – Willunga, Blackwood-Hills and Wayville. Between them they contributed  the total amount.

This is the heartfelt message received via her STTARRS worker:

“Please thank them for us and tell them that I pray for them, to bless them for being a helpful hand for me”

 

Help us continue to support destitute refugees in Indonesia

Circle 139 members in Indonesia with refugees

Appeal from Forgotten Refugees Support Circle

We currently support 70 adults and 40 children in Jakarta at a cost of ~$8000 per month (a doubling of cost since June when another wave of refugees camping in front of the UNHCR were threatened with detention).  We rapidly responded and stretched ourselves to support them. As such with the current number of people we are supporting we will run out of reserves in October.

Our immediate dilemma is how to continue support to these otherwise destitute refugees.  You can help by making a donation (indicate donation is for Forgotten Refugees Circle (Circle 139). 

Jakarta is a city of great contrasts and is the largest city in the world (Greater Jakarta has a population of ~48 million) with all the trappings of a rapidly developing nation. I was amazed by the view from the roof-top of our hotel when I last visited in July last year.  The Jakarta skyline is dominated by all the major international banks and financial institutions.

Living in the shadows without support or work rights are a community of refugees from many of the well-known conflicts in Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen. Since mid-2024 we have visited annually and with the help of friends sought to house and provide a meagre allowance to give dignity to this cohort of otherwise unsupported refugees.

Our committed monthly donor income is now generally about $3600, having sadly lost a key supporter who died suddenly in late July.  Carol communicated regularly and directly with people she supported through the Circle and elsewhere in Pakistan and Cox’s Bazar.  She is sadly missed by the refugee community as by her friends.  Whilst it is not appropriate to focus on her loss in financial terms, she regularly supported us at $900/month.

We now have a gap between donor income and costs of a bit over $4k/month. To date we have been meeting this shortfall by drawing down on our reserve funds raised through our Circle launch event  in May plus June end of financial year campaign.Still we are now on track to run out of reserves in October.

We are looking at ways to reduce our costs by renting large houses or other buildings that refugees can share.  If we cannot both significantly increase our support base and reduce costs we will have no option but to return many of these people back to the street. This is not a decision we will take lightly but endeavour to continue providing a small food allowance.

Can you help to sustain this important work? Make a donation now. 

For more information or to join please contact us via Ralph.

Sanctuary Runners Event 15th August 2026

After the successful first outing of parkrunners/walkers on the World Refugee Day on June 20th, another Saturday morning event has been organised by Justice for Refugees SA.  Please share among the refugees, migrants and people seeking asylum in your friendship orbit.

The day is 15th August at Carisbrooke Park in Salisbury North.  We meet at 7:30am to get organised for an 8:00am start. It is a beautiful location for a walk or run.   Sanctuary Runners T-shirts are free and there is no cost to be a part of the parkrun.
For more information email Justice for Refugees.

An Afghan Food Journey Fundraiser

Organised by Nathan’s Circle.

All funds will go to advocate for refugees currently living in Australia with no pathway to permanency. 
Refugees regarded by the government as “transitory” currently have no pathway to permanency and are on 6 monthly visas with no rights to tertiary study.  Groups like  Circle of Friends and Justice for Refugees SA are raising money to assist in the advocacy for people living in this “limbo”.

When: 6:30pm Tuesday 29th September 2026.
Where: Rumi Palace Restaurant (303 Prospect Rd, Blair Athol).
Cost: $60.00 adults, children by request $30.00.
Booking link: https://www.trybooking.com/DIMVJ

Take your taste buds on a journey through Afghanistan taking in a vibrant array of dishes that bring this ancient and rich cuisine to life. From tender meat dishes to plant based delights, aromatic rice through to traditional Afghan bread, each plate will tell the story of Afghan culture and hospitality. This communal feast invites you to explore the bold flavours and spices of the region, brought directly to your table for an intimate, food-focused experience – all right here in South Australia. An unforgettable gastronomic adventure, where exceptional food meets people and community. Don’t miss out on this exclusive culinary experience!

Raffle on the night to keep the excitement going. Cash and electronic payment options available.

Hosted by the legendary Rumi Palace Restaurant, with the passionate host Mohammad Hamidi.

Refugee Film Festival at Victor Harbour

Organised by Nathan’s Circle. All funds raised go directly to Circle of Friends. 

The final screenings of this year’s inaugural Adelaide Refugee Film Festival.

Step into powerful stories from around the world at this special film screening at Victa Cinema, Victor Harbor. Two films, part of a moving and eye-opening celebration of cinema that shines a light on the lives of refugees internationally. Films to be shown:

  1. Lost Land – This Venice award winner is the first-ever Rohingya-language feature, following two young siblings on a perilous journey to Malaysia to reunite with their scattered family. Made with a largely non-professional cast of over 200 Rohingya participants, Lost Land is a visceral, humane story of survival and the search for somewhere to call home. Coming to Adelaide after the Sydney Film Festival.
  2. Feel It From My Words – Short documentary about musician Mushtaq Hussain who fleeing persecution and death threats is thrust into the perilous world of human smuggling. Narrated by Mushtaq. 

When: 6:30pm Saturday August 29th 2026

Where: Victa Cinema, Victor Harbor

Book Tickets via TryBooking