Seeing through different eyes

Imagine you're in the supermarket shopping for your family. You want to find the best milk for your kids, the healthiest yoghurt and the cheapest cut of meat. You examine the labels but they're not in English, and you don't recognise any of the brands or logos. It takes you ages to figure it all out and you're exhausted after a simple shopping trip.

Or you're at the railway station with your two young kids, trying to figure out how to get the right train to get to a dentist appointment. You're not really sure where to change and which train stops there, but you need to get it right because your youngest child has had tooth pain for days now. You're distracted and anxious, and both kids are crying, but you can't even ask anyone for help because you don't speak the language well enough yet.

Newcomers to Australia experience these sorts of difficulties all the time. Language can be a strain at first, and culture is unfamiliar to them. Refugees, who often came here in a hurry and with few possessions, can especially struggle.

SSRC has been set up to assist in these situations. To reduce alienation and to be a friend. To give a helping hand with orientation and practical matters. To help people get back on their feet again and find confidence.

Thanks to our supporters, we've been able to welcome our first family to the Sutherland Shire and begin to assist them with shopping, schooling, finding work, and feeling at home.

This is a great start, but we need continued help.

To give this family breathing space as they move toward independence, we're providing temporary support for rental and electricity. We need generous supporters to help out.

Will you make a gift to support this family (and prepare for the next one)? Will you even consider becoming a regular giver? Your donation of $2 or more is tax deductible.

You can donate via Paypal, Credit Card or bank transfer.

Thank you for your support in this rewarding task.