Refugee Week: A look into CatholicCare’s Settle Well Program

Happy Refugee Week!

Did you know your donations to the Give Where You Live Foundation are assisting local refugees and asylum seekers in accessing key resources like education and employment support, trauma-informed counselling, and promote community and social participation in their new communities?

Refugees and asylum seekers are key members of our community and ensuring their resettlement process is as smooth as possible is crucial to creating a rich multicultural community.

Did you also know that Geelong is a priority location for the resettlement of refugees in regional Australia– especially for women deemed at risk? What an incredible honour!

This week we will be celebrating the wonderful contributions refugees make to our community and the wonderful work that is possible within the refugee community because of your generous donations.

 

But first, what is Refugee Week?

Refugee Week exists to serve a few purposes:

  • Raises awareness about issues facing the refugee community
  • To nationally recognise and celebrate refugees and asylum seekers within our community
  • Highlights the contribution of refugees and asylum seekers in Australian society
  • To unite! This year’s theme is ‘unity,’ inviting all Australians to come together celebrate the vibrancy of our refugee population

 

How Your Donations Support Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Geelong

CatholicCare is an organisation dedicated to creating a stronger, more inclusive society. To help them in achieving this vision, they were granted $30,000 by the Foundation to implement and expand their Settle Well Mum’s program to assist refugees mothers in accessing education and employment opportunities.

Coming to Australia – really moving to any foreign county – is an intimidating and complex challenge for anyone, let alone someone escaping war, civil unrest, violence or persecution.

What would you do if you had to restart your whole life in a new country? Would you know how to get a job? Who is likely to hire you? How to progress your education and career? Where to go for the course you want to undertake?

The above questions are the reason re-settlement programs like CatholicCare’s Settle Well Mum’s program exist.

Settle Well Mums answers the questions, alleviates some of the stress, and helps women and mothers feel at home in their new country.

Settle Well Mums expands upon CatholicCare’s Settle Well Student program at Northern Bay Secondary College and North Geelong Secondary College to ensure the entire family has the support and community they need to thrive.

 

Offering support in a whole host of ways, Settle Well Mum’s provides a multi-faceted approach to their support. This includes:

  • Offering specialised trauma-informed counselling
  • Case management
  • Education about and referral to additional community services
  • Education and training
  • Community and social participation
  • Assistance finding employment and volunteering opportunities

This program is instrumental in supporting young refugees and asylum seekers, and their mothers in a host of areas including:

  • Education support to ensure the participants are getting the most out of their education
  • Training and employment support to ensure participants can find pathways into work
  • Building the confidence needed to achieve their educational and career aspirations
  • Increasing their social participation and sense of wellbeing within the community

 

Curious about the impact your donations are having? Check out this infographic reflecting the impact your donations have had so far!