Solidarity & Compassion
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Refugees & Asylum Seekers Program 2021 report
Charity Haynes for Alison RacoMuch of this year has been dominated by the Coronavirus and its impact on vulnerable people like asylum seekers highlights the importance of VDSA in their lives. All those asylum seekers and refugees living without visa or on welfare are not eligible for the government’s special benefits like JobSeeker. So, if…
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VDSA REFUGEE GROUP 2019 – REPORT
This year brought deep and abiding sadness with the death of one of our long-serving and very active members, Nicoletta. Her absence is strongly felt. Many refugees and asylum seekers attended Nicoletta’s funeral and wrote moving tributes. We have continued with our usual activities of visiting refugees and their families in the community. Some steadfast…
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LUNCH PROJECT – 2019 REPORT
This year our group celebrates its 7th Birthday. Our work has consisted in providing monthly quality hot lunches for refugees and asylum seekers who attend the Asylum Seekers’ Centre in Newtown. Our teams are not only respected but truly cherished by these refugees and asylum seekers and by the staff. This year as in 2018…
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ASYLUM SEEKER/REFUGEE GROUP – 2018 REPORT
In the last year, we’ve continued our support for Villawood detention centre detainees, ex-detainees now in the community, and detainees’ families living at Miowera Village. Using our precious funds, we have supplied phone cards, groceries, second-hand books and toys, baby items and the occasional gift card to refugees and asylum seekers to relieve their distress,…
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REFUGEE LUNCH GROUP – 2018 REPORT
Our Group was born in 2013, and since then it has provided regular monthly hot lunches for the Clients of the ASC in Newtown. Flexible in its structure, efficient and generous the group is by now well-known and well-loved both by the Staff of the ASC but most importantly by its growing number of its…
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ASYLUM SEEKER/REFUGEE GROUP – 2017 REPORT
The Refugee Group is now focussed on three different areas – firstly, the Villawood detention centre, secondly, Miowera Village adjacent to the detention centre but no longer enclosed and thirdly, ex-detainees now living in the community. Immigration is making it increasingly difficult to visit the detention centre as soon it will be necessary to apply…
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REFUGEE LUNCH GROUP – 2017 REPORT
The VDSA lunch group programme is now five years old, and in 2017 the activity has continued in the format of a flexible number of people working in teams of three. We prepare and serve a monthly, generous hot lunch for refugees and asylum seekers who are clients of the Asylum Seekers’ Centre. Meals are…
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2017 FILEF and VDDSA meeting in support of refugees seeking asylum in Australia
On Friday 26 May, 2017, a FILEF (Italian Federation of Migrant Workers and their families) meeting was held at the Italian Forum Cultural Centre in Leichardt, Sydney to discuss how refugees seeking asylum in Australia could be supported. NGOs including Amnesty International, Asylum Seeker Centre, Refugee Action Coalition, Valerio Daniel De Simoni Association, People Just Like…
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ASYLUM SEEKER/REFUGEE GROUP – 2016 REPORT
This 5th year of activity has seen a drop-off in the number of detainees visited, as some were finally released, after 5 or even 6 years in detention. Contact has continued with some of these, especially with our Sri Lankan friends. Some financial assistance has been given to those now in the community to alleviate…
