A Warm Welcome to ASRC’s Home of Hope: Humanitarian Services

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s (ASRC) frontline Humanitarian Services provide people seeking asylum and refugees with access to the information and support they need to navigate the complex and often stressful process of seeking asylum in Australia. Without access to many basic human rights, such as income support, study and work rights, and Medicare, our clients often find themselves in emergency situations where immediate relief is essential to prevent destitution.

Our Humanitarian Services aim to stabilise the circumstances of at-risk people seeking asylum while they engage with their visa determination process, to ensure they have the best possible chance of successfully rebuilding their lives in safety. Some of the bigger challenges facing people seeking asylum include experiencing mental health issues, risk of homelessness, family violence, and involuntary repatriation. 

Our Humanitarian Services volunteers play a crucial role in providing the highest quality service to people seeking asylum. They range from social workers and caseworkers to psychologists, and every day they connect our clients with the right support and  information. They respond to phone and face-to-face inquiries, greet everyone arriving at the centre in a warm and welcoming manner, and create a welcoming atmosphere where our members feel respected, supported, and part of a caring community. 

Volunteers like Bushra offer their time and skills because of their personal experience of seeking refuge, supporting other people going through similar life journeys, offering understanding and hope, and making a meaningful difference in their lives and in the community. Bushra is proud and happy to be able to help people going through the difficult times she knows herself: “ASRC is a hope for asylum seekers, and I think hope is everything.”

Meet Bushra, our Humanitarian Services volunteer, and learn why volunteering at the ASRC makes her feel proud.

The people who work in our Humanitarian Services teams embody everything the ASRC stands for, displaying our values of compassion, empathy, and support. Our organisation strives to be welcoming, authentic, courageous and collaborative in our fight to protect the human rights of people seeking asylum in Australia. As a community of people from all walks of life, willing to give their time and skills to help support some of the most vulnerable members of our community and ensuring they feel welcomed, safe, and understood, we work together towards our common goal of a fairer and more compassionate Australia. 

If you want to get involved in offering essential and tangible support to people seeking asylum and refugees, we invite you to join us. Find out more about volunteering in our Humanitarian Services teams. Together let’s offer a warm and compassionate welcome.

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