Strategic Community Assistance to Refugee Families (SCARF) is launching a fundraising campaign to help refugees rebuild their lives in Australia. For the last decade the Wollongong-based organisation has eased the transition of people who have arrive in the Illawarra as humanitarian refugees.
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Executive officer Sherryl Reddy said for most people living in the region the thought of having to run for your life, fleeing your home or community and leaving everything familiar was unimaginable. But that is what many experience in other parts of the the world and SCARF wants to help as much as possible for the refugees who arrive in Wollongong. “Our hope is to gather 400 supporters to donate $50 per month for 12 months, as this will contribute significantly to keeping SCARF alive and thriving into the future,” she said.
Ms Reddy said when people arrive in Australia as humanitarian refugees, they come with a lifetime of skills, talent and experience. Many also carry personal histories of trauma and upheaval. While they are determined to rebuild their lives here, they often encounter many obstacles associated with establishing a home in a place where everything is unfamiliar. And that is where SCARF’s refugee support has helped many.
SCARF has worked to bridge the gap by linking local volunteers with refugee families, and providing crucial support to over 1000 men, women and children in the Illawarra.
SCARF facilitates a range of targeted programs designed to help refugee entrants achieve their full potential, including family mentoring, homework help, learn to drive, language assistance, youth leadership and development, social inclusion and continuous learning activities.
But Ms Reddy said the demand for SCARF’s services kept growing. As had its network of more than 250 volunteers who help provide community-based programs for refugee children, youth, adults and older people - through all stages of their settlement experience - for as long as they need it.
SCARF Empower will provide critical funding to expand the range and reach of services to respond to the needs of new Syrian arrivals in 2016-17.
It will also help it meet the continuing support needs of refugee community members from 14 different countries of origin who have settled in the Wollongong area over the past decade.
“The dedication of our volunteers is endless, but unfortunately our funding is not. We want to continue providing inclusion, education and employment opportunities for another 10 years and beyond. This is what SCARF Empower is all about,” Ms Reddy said.
It is a critical time and that is why SCARF is turning to the community for assistance..
Pledges of support to SCARF Empower can be made at http://www.scarf1.org.au and those who do will receive updates on how their donation has gone towards empowering refugee families to build new lives.
They also receive a receipt for a tax deductible donation.