National Volunteer Week: Supporting people seeking asylum through legal aid

This National Volunteer Week, we’re celebrating the incredible people who help make the ASRC community possible.

Across every part of the organisation, volunteers contribute their time, skills and care to support people seeking asylum. From food relief and healthcare to legal support and community programs, volunteers play a vital role in helping keep our doors open.

As part of this blog series, we’re spotlighting some of the volunteers behind this work and sharing the stories, experiences and motivations that bring them to the ASRC community. 

Beginning as a volunteer paralegal with the ASRC in 2024, Berelian brings both professionalism and lived experience to her role within the Human Rights Law Program (HRLP). In a fast-paced role, she triages new requests for legal assistance and oversees client intake and support. 

In triaging new intakes, Berelian ensures people seeking asylum have the assistance they need to navigate complex legal processes. She has helped vulnerable people get access to assistance, helping them to feel at ease in situations where their futures may be uncertain. Where necessary, she connects clients with further referral pathways, to ensure no one is left without aid.  

Overseeing daily administration, Berelian is responsible for legal research and file management. She also helps to train and guide new volunteers, sharing her own lived experiences with others. Taking on extra tasks where necessary to contribute to smooth operations, Berelian is a kind and dependable presence within the HRLP. 

With her own lived experience of seeking asylum, Berelian brings a deep level of understanding to her interactions with clients. Her ability to connect with people through compassion, cultural understanding and shared experience helps foster trust at what can often be an incredibly difficult time in someone’s life.

Through her volunteer work, Berelian is helping people seeking asylum access critical legal support while contributing to a more compassionate and welcoming community.

Like Berelian, you can volunteer your time and skills to help create meaningful change for people seeking asylum in our community. Learn more about volunteering with the ASRC today.