“We packed one suitcase and left everything behind” – Mina’s story this winter

Six months ago, Mina arrived in Australia from Iran with her two children, Lila and Omid.
She brought almost nothing with her, just one suitcase and the weight of a future she was trying to rebuild.

“I still carry the feeling that those goodbyes may not be temporary,” Mina wrote. “We packed one suitcase and left everything we know behind.”

Arriving in Australia did not feel like arriving in safety. It felt like another uncertain beginning.
Mina was pregnant, caring for two young children, and separated from her husband, who remains in Iran. Communication is limited and unpredictable.

“We’re never sure when we’ll be able to talk next,” she says. “I worry about him all the time.”

When she arrived, Mina had no stable housing, no income and no clear understanding of where to turn. Someone told her about the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), and she came directly from the airport.
Support began immediately.

Food. Nappies. Transport assistance. Healthcare. Emergency accommodation.

“Coming to the ASRC helped us. Food, things for the children, even help with transport. I didn’t feel so alone anymore,” Mina shared.

For Mina, this support meant stability in an otherwise unstable time.
This winter, her story reflects what we are seeing across the community.
Families seeking asylum are being pushed to the edge as the cost of living rises – forced to choose between heating and food, rent and medication.

At the ASRC, winter means more families needing food relief, more people at risk of homelessness, and more delaying medical care because they simply cannot afford it.
 It also means community.
Volunteers cooking hot meals. Nurses providing care. Members of our Legal team offering support. Donors making it all possible.

Today, thanks to support from the ASRC’s Housing Program, Mina and her children have a small home. It is simple, but safe. Her children can sleep through the night.
But uncertainty remains.

This is why the ASRC exists.
To support people as they rebuild – not just in crisis, but over time.

This winter, your support can help provide food, healthcare, emergency relief and legal support for people seeking asylum.

 Please donate to the ASRC Winter Appeal today and help families like Mina’s.