Basic Needs

The ASRC Material Aid desk is operated by our Homelessness and Basic Needs Response Team to support people seeking asylum and refugees to fulfil their basic needs.

This includes providing direct material and financial aid, as well as information, advice, referral to services related to the basic survival needs of people seeking asylum.

What will you find here?

Information for people seeking asylum on how to get help with their basic needs.
How to contact the ASRC Homelessness and Basic Needs Response Team for support.

New to the ASRC
If you are new to the ASRC and would like to discuss your situation, please call 03 9326 6066 and we can help you. You will need to book an appointment before your visit.

Existing members
If you are an existing member of the ASRC, our Material Aid desk is located on Level 2 of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre at 214-218 Nicholson St, Footscray VIC 3011.

If you need help with:

Myki top-up (public transport card)
Nappies for your baby

Please drop in to the Material Aid desk between 11am – 3:30pm, Monday to Friday.

I am having trouble paying for my other needs.
We may be able to help. Please call 03 9326 6066 between 11am – 3pm, Monday to Friday, and an ASRC caseworker will provide a callback.

Permanent Visa Pathways for TPV/SHEV Holders & Applicants

The Government has announced it will provide pathways for TPV/SHEV holders and TPV/SHEV applicants to
be assessed for RoS visas. RoS visas are permanent visas that allow holders to live, work and study in Australia,
access government services such as Medicare and Centrelink, and sponsor eligible family members for
permanent residence.

Click here for Permanent Visa Pathways for TPV/SHEV Holders & Applicants Fact Sheet

The Fact Sheet is also available in: Dari – Urdu – Arabic – Tamil

Click here for ASRC Legal Referral Sheet

⚠️ IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR OUR COMMUNITY: END OF YEAR CLOSURE ⚠️

The ASRC in Footscray and the Refugee Resource Hub in Dandenong will be closed to the public from December 22nd, 5pm to January 9th, 10am, with two exceptions:

Thursday, December 29th, 10am – 3pm*
Thursday, January 5th, 10am – 3pm*
*Only the ASRC in Footscray will be operating these two days. People in Dandenong are welcome to attend the ASRC in Footscray for assistance.

Services available on the two open days:

Foodbank (11am – 3pm)
Myki and nappies (10am – 3pm)
Health Program, drop in (10am – 3pm)
Legal advice for new clients, urgent matters only (deadline before 20 January 2023) (Drop in or call 9326 6066 10am – 1pm)
Legal advice for existing clients, urgent matters (Call 9274 9889 10am – 1pm)|

If you are a donor and want to donate food or material items, please do so when we reopen on January 9th. Learn more

If you want to make a financial donation to the ASRC, please visit here.

The ASRC will return to normal operating hours (10am – 5pm, Monday to Friday) on Monday, January 9th, 2023

Need more information about services available from the ASRC or other community organisations? Please visit here.

Find this information in Urdu, Arabic, Tamil, Persian, Dari, Vietnamese

Thanks for your interest in supporting the ASRC Telethon on World Refugee Day, Monday 20th June.

Complete this form with your details and we will send you an email reminder before the event as well as alerts throughout the day when key activities happen.

Please note: all requests submitted to the Marketing Services Model will not be worked on until 1 July 2022 to allow the team space to focus on projects such as the Winter Appeal and Telethon.

You are welcome to submit requests and we’d love to support – we ask that you please supply a reasonable due date, keeping in mind we will not tend to the request until July. Thank you!

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners across Australia and pay respect to their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. We acknowledge sovereignty of the lands upon which we work and live have never been ceded.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM

The centre is OPEN again from Tuesday 11th – Friday 14th (10am – 5pm).

We will return to normal operating hours (10am – 5pm, Monday – Friday), from Monday 17th of January onwards.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM

The centre is OPEN again from Tuesday 11th – Friday 14th (10am – 5pm).

We will return to normal operating hours (10am – 5pm, Monday – Friday), from Monday 17th of January onwards.

Our Spring Sale Has Started

You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM

If you were transferred from Nauru or PNG to Australia for medical treatment, and if your Bridging Visa E is due to expire soon, you should urgently contact the HRLP: hotline number on 0422035324 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or email legal@asrc.org.au and include ‘BV E Expiry’ in the subject line
For more information regarding visa applications please click here

Information for people released from immigration detention - homepage popup

URGENT – ‘FAST TRACK APPLICATION’

Protection visa interview deadline: 30 June, 2021

If you applied for a TPV or SHEV visa between 2015 and 2017 and have not already attended a Protection visa interview with the Department, please contact the ASRC urgently for legal assistance. CALL: Fast track hotline 0422035324 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or email legal@asrc.org.au

The application interview is your only chance to explain your case to the Department. Update your contact details with the Department to receive your Interview Invitation (the ASRC can also help you do this).

Click here to learn more (Info sheet Fast Track interviews).
Click here to read info sheet in other languages.

“I can’t erase racism by myself. It’s only if we all come together to accept that there is an issue and work together that we can make a change.”

Prudence Melom, founder and CEO of E-RACED

“Growing in a refugee camp and experiencing hardship from a young age I felt very misunderstood among my peers in Australia. Kids my age did not understand why my skin was darker, they didn’t understand why my accent was a little different and they didn’t understand why I came to Australia.

“I was inspired to start E-RACED after experiencing first hand the effects of racism in this country and the power of sharing my story to completely change people’s attitudes. Never underestimate the power of one-on-one interactions and sharing stories to change the world.”

Basic Needs

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