Last night, Sarah Titheridge and Ruth Lesmana shared Aliyahs* story and her journey seeking asylum in Australia.
42-years-old and a mother of two kids, Aliyah left Papua New Guinea fleeing violence and persecution - leaving her kids behind.
Upon arriving in Australia, she didn't speak English, had limited funds and was experiencing homelessness. Aliyah was referred to House of Welcome, where the staff immediately made her feel welcome, respected and valued.
They understood how difficult her situation was and wanted to support her - they introduced her to the Emergency Living Program.
They provided her with food, somewhere warm and safe to sleep, a community she could rely on after a long time of doing it on her own and access to medical care if she was sick.
House Of Welcome (HoW) creates a safe community for forcibly displaced peoples to thrive and belong. HoW finds positive solutions to overcoming barriers for people seeking asylum and refugees by delivering employment, housing, skills building and community development programs. We specialise in one to once casework so each of our clients has a personalised case plan to create and work through their goals.
Our Emergency Living Program ensures access to essential medical care, nutritious food from our food bank, transportation support with paid Opal cards, and emergency accommodation empowering individuals to achieve stability and independence.
Over a year later, Aliyah's journey has transformed remarkably, thanks to the unwavering support from House of Welcome and its community of supporters. She now thrives in a full-time position at a local hospital and has successfully transitioned into the private rental market, achieving her goal of financial independence.
She dreams of reuniting with her children here, creating a brighter future for her family in this vibrant community.
I invite you to support clients like Aliyah by contributing to the House of Welcome Emergency Living Program here and sharing this post with your connections:
https://lnkd.in/g2TFasJy
Your support will provide critical resources like medicine, transportation, alleviating stress and anxiety about securing food and shelter, and helping people seeking asylum take their first steps toward a new life in Australia.
Will you walk shoulder to shoulder with some of our most vulnerable in society to help them on their path to rebuilding a better life, knowing that the journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step?
Thank you City of Parramatta for organising such a wonderful event as well as Lucy Brotherton, Rob Irving and Tom Dawkins for their incredible coaching.
Special thanks to Meadhbh Roche for her incredible work and collaboration on this pitch.
Well done to David Burns from Collective Leisure, Asha Murphy from Edu-fy, Kerrie Sheaves from The Success Works and Morad Wasile from St Merkorious Charity Association Inc
angela argent (phd) David Hardie Louise Margaret Burton Vicki Heffernan
