ABORIGINAL CHILD FAMILY CAND COMMUNITY CARE STATE SECRETARIAT (NSW) $25,000

Meeting Aboriginal community needs during COVID-19

The Aboriginal Child Family and Community Care Secretariat (AbSec) is the peak Aboriginal body providing child protection and out-of-home care advice in NSW to government and non-government organisations. AbSec recently reached out individually to all known 39 Aboriginal family and child organisations in NSW to hear what they needed to support through this time. Organisations asked for a range of resources to improve care and service delivery including

This funding is being directed to Aboriginal family and child organisations across NSW in need as a result of the pandemic crisis.

AUSTRALIAN MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTRE (SA) $5,000

Community Support Program

The Australian Migrant Resource Centre specialises in settlement, community development, training, and employment initiatives for migrants, especially those of refugee background across metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia.

This funding is providing financial support to asylum seekers and refugees on bridging visas who are not receiving any support from Centrelink.

AUSTRALIAN UNEMPLOYED WORKERS UNION (NATIONAL) $10,000

AUWU Support Hotline

The Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union (AUWU) is an independent and unfunded national volunteer organisation run by the unemployed, for the unemployed.

This funding is assisting AUWU to respond to increased demand the AUWU Support Hotline, which provides support for people navigating Centrelink and needing job-seeking advice as well as legal advice regarding unfair dismissals and other work-related claims, has seen increased demand due to the levels of unemployment during the lockdowns.

BALLARAT FOUNDATION (VIC) $12,000

Food Relief Project

The Ballarat Foundation works with Ballarat Community Health and the Salvation Army to provide emergency food relief deliveries to schools and universities. With the second wave of lockdowns in Victoria, more people have been prevented from working and the need for this program has increased.

The Foundation provides financial support for the purchase of food staples for the local community, as well as sourcing volunteers to pack the staples into individual packages and deliver them to schools and universities. The program, which costs around $1000 per fortnightly delivery, will be sustained for the rest of the year with this funding from the National Crisis Response Fund.

BARPIDHILA FOUNDATION (NATIONAL) $25,000

Indigenous Artists Relief Fund

Barpirdhila is a First Nations organisation set up by experienced and commercially successful artists, including Adam Briggs, Reko Rennie and Kimberley Moulton, to develop, nurture and support First Nations excellence within the creative arts sector. Its aim is to create both physical spaces and employment pathways for prospective and emerging young artists.

This funding is providing financial support for First Nations artists and performers affected by COVID-19, many of whom are not eligible for JobKeeper, and to assist emerging artists in the production of live-streamed events and music videos to support their careers and employment opportunities.

COUNCIL OF SINGLE MOTHERS AND THEIR CHILDREN (NATIONAL) $15,000

Financial support for single mothers during COVID-19

The Council of Single Mothers and Their Children (CSMC) provides emergency assistance to single mothers in need, in the form of food vouchers, rent support, safe housing and help with unexpected costs.

This funding is supporting CSMC to respond to an unprecedented demand for its services, with many single mothers in flexible, casual work arrangements and in many cases having lost work in the current climate.

DIDI BAHINI SAMAJ VICTORIA (VIC) $5,000

Financial support for Nepali students

Didi Bahini Samaj Victoria (DBSV) is a Nepalese women’s organisation in Victoria, advancing, promoting and empowering women’s rights to live with dignity and respect in a diverse cultural setting.

This funding is supporting DBSV to provide COVID-19 emergency relief for international students from Nepal who are in need. Nepali students are the third largest group in Australia’s international student community. There are about 10,000 Nepali international students who are actively studying in Victoria, 200 of which have already applied for financial assistance.

ENCOMPASS CARE (VIC) $15,000

COVID-19 Emergency Food Relief Response

Encompass Care provides an emergency hotline for people to call in and ask for assistance. There is an increasing number of people from asylum seeker community and international students that are reaching out for assistance for the first time.  

This funding is supporting Encompass in partnering with Darebin Council, who have agreed to deliver parcels to people’s home. Encompass partners with local shops and buy from them to support local businesses in the area, and the Council provides large food parcels, with non-perishable goods, frozen meals, toiletries, nappies, and formula.

GEORGES RIVER LIFE CARE (NSW) $5,000

COVID-19 relief project

Georges River Life Care (GRLC) provide crucial services and long-term programs and facilities for disadvantaged individuals and families in the local Georges River community.

This funding is supporting GRLC to respond to increased demand for case management, the GRLC Community Relief Centre, and legal support services during this period.

INNER MELBOURNE COMMUNITY LEGAL (VIC) $15,000

Communications strategy and support for COVID-19 public housing lockdown

Inner Melbourne Community Legal (IMCL) has been providing free legal advice and assistance to the community since 1978. When residents of public housing in North Melbourne were placed under ‘hard lockdown’ in July 2020, IMCL were one of the frontline legal centres working to provide 24/7 assistance to residents. Staff stopped usual service delivery to do this work, therefore impacting their regular client work.

With no other dedicated funding for this response, funding from the National Crisis Response Fund went towards communications support and an expert consultant to help manage the crisis response.

JESUIT REFUGEE SERVICE (NSW) $5,000

General support for COVID-19

Jesuit Refugee Service is an international organisation whose mission is to accompany, serve, and advocate on behalf of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons. In the absence of government funding for refugees and people seeking asylum, the demand for services and support has increased and the regular foodbank expanded.

This funding is providing food and medicine to more people as their incomes dry up.

RISE: Refugees, Survivors and Ex-Detainees (VIC) $5,000

COVID-19 Door-to-Door Emergency Relief Drive

RISE is a grassroots organisation, operating at a grassroots level. RISE is the ONLY advocacy and welfare not-for-profit organisation that is run, governed and managed by ex-detainees, Asylum Seekers and Refugees.

This funding is supporting RISE’s COVID-19 Door-to-Door Emergency Relief Drive, which is providing essential items to low-income households. Recipients include babies as young as 3 months old and older residents in their eighties.

STEPPING OUT (NSW) $10,000

Staying connected through COVID-19

Stepping Out transforms the lives of female survivors of childhood sexual abuse through programs aimed at addressing trauma and complex mental health issues.

This funding is supporting Stepping Out to run online social activities and provide pamper packs and food hampers to vulnerable clients that are particularly socially isolated during this time.

WELFARE RIGHTS CENTRE (NSW) $10,000

COVID-19 Centrelink support

The Welfare Rights Centre (WRC) is a community legal centre specialising in social security law and family assistance law and its administration by Centrelink. As at June 2020, 1.6 million Australians were receiving JobSeeker Payment, more than doubling the number of recipients since the beginning of March 2020.

This funding is supporting WRC to increase its capacity to respond to the growth in demand for assistance.

WISHIN (VIC) $15,000

Supporting homeless women and children through COVID-19

Women’s Information, Support and Housing in the North (WISHIN) is a social change organisation working towards gender equity for all women and children who have experienced homelessness, family violence and related traumas. Homeless women and children are being hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis. They lack the resources many of us take for granted – access to mobile technology, the space to home-school, or a back yard for the kids to play in.

This funding is supporting WISHIN to redouble efforts to find these women safe and appropriate accommodation, and provide them with phone and data bundles so that they can connect with loved ones and access essential services like Centrelink and Telehealth.