October 2022 newsletter: what you should know about Anti-Poverty Week

92% of Australians agree that, “In Australia, no one should go without basic essentials like food, healthcare, transport and power.”*

And yet, for many people seeking asylum, getting essentials like these is difficult. Many people rely on charities to provide week-to-week support to prevent them becoming homeless or going without food.

The 16th October 2022 marks the beginning of Anti-Poverty Week. The Asylum Seekers Centre is highlighting the need for an income safety net for people who seek protection in our country and then find themselves with nothing to fall back on.

During the height of the pandemic, the NSW Government assisted charities like the ASC to provide some living assistance for people who are doing it tough in the community. This support will end soon and without it, more people will slip into deep poverty, hundreds of dollars a week below the poverty line.

The new Federal Government brought us hope that policies would change quickly for refugees and people seeking asylum, but nothing has changed yet.

People are still living for years in limbo without any rights or access to support. Temporary Protection Visas are still keeping more than 30,000 refugees living day-to-day with no plan for their futures.

* Essential Vision research

Job fair: a room full of open doors

It seems like many employers are looking to hire at the moment. In the Asylum Seekers Centre community there are many people who are looking for jobs, but there isn’t always a way to match them. At a successful Job Fair collaboration held in Auburn this week, these people were brought together to open doors to employment.

Read more.

Health skills boosted by the first of many workshops

This month the Asylum Seekers Centre hosted the first of a series of workshops to boost the skills of people in our community to manage their health, nutrition and diabetes. Leonie Agnew, ASC Health Manager said that the workshops were engaging, interactive and she is looking forward to organising more workshops, including one in Arabic. People have already reported a difference in their shopping and exercise habits.

The workshops were supported through a grant from Inner West Council and facilitated by Diabetes Australia.

Give your celebration positive vibes

Make your next celebration a fundraiser for the Asylum Seekers Centre and support people seeking asylum to thrive in our Sydney community. For the price of a scented candle you can give a month worth of public transport travel, food on a family’s table or a social connection activity.

Find out how to give your birthday, end-of-year party or celebration a big boost of positive vibes.

Volunteer opportunities available

To see all our latest opportunities to volunteer with the Asylum Seekers Centre take a look at our careers page.