The Project Dignity outreach program was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide support to refugee students and their families seeking asylum in Australia. As many of these people lost employment, are not eligible for any Government assistance, and do not have access to sufficient food and other basic provisions, our priority is to provide them with access to these essentials.
The Project Dignity outreach program was created in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide support to refugee students and their families seeking asylum in Australia. . Many of these people had lost their jobs with little or no likelihood of finding employment and most of them did not have sufficient basic provisions to survive, nor were they eligible for any government assistance.
Our priority became food relief and began to provide meals The volunteers cooked meals in their homes, which were packaged in labelled and ultimately delivered to households in need.
By the end of 2020 we distributed over 6000 meals, 700 cakes as well as fresh fruit and vegetables and basic staples including rice, grains, toiletries and other essentials. We are currently providing food to about 25 homes, 90-110 people per week as well as providing meals to the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Program in Port Melbourne and to the Salvation Army Asylum Seeker service in Brunswick.
We provide families with cooked meals where preferred but in most cases we realise that families prefer to receive ingredients to cook for themselves. To date the response to our program has been incredibly heartening. The recipients appreciate the groceries and nutritious tasty meals that our volunteers cook and are also thankful that as a community we care about them.
Unfortunately the difficulties of the asylum seeking community continue as many of them do not have sufficient basic provisions to survive nor are they eligible for any Government assistance.
Our program will continue as a practical way that we can offer support in this current situation.
We also accept donations of supermarket vouchers, non-perishable food, and cooked meals.
For more information or to get involved, please contact organisers Elly Brooks: 0409 002 485 or Nicole Brown: 0425 774 712
We extend our gratitude to:
- Generous donors who enable us to bulk purchase non-perishable foods and other essentials, and who also donate vouchers, food and other items.
- Nourish, Mazon Australia, Food Filled, Fareshare, the Leaf Store, Bright Sparqe and Father Bobs Foundation for their ongoing support.
We currently need donations to continue our support program for these vulnerable members of our community.
