You Belong

You Belong is a Toowoomba based not for profit supporting refugees and humanitarian entrants to settle, connect, and thrive in their new community.

From 2017, we have supported over 5,000 Waymakers across Queensland, delivering a range of programs, including the Learner Driver Mentor Program, Road Safety Education, English Classes, Cook 2 Connect, Good Neighbour, and Welcome Picnics, designed around what newly arrived families actually need to build a life in regional Queensland, not just arrive in it. We call the people we support Waymakers, because that’s exactly what they are: people finding their way in a new country, a new language, and a new community, often while carrying the weight of what they’ve left behind. Our role is to walk alongside them on that journey. Belonging changes everything. Because we all belong.

Settlement doesn’t end when a family arrives in Australia, for many, it’s just the beginning of a much longer road. Isolation, language barriers, unfamiliarity with local systems, and the loss of the informal support networks people once relied on can leave newly arrived families feeling disconnected long after the paperwork is done. This is particularly true in regional communities like Toowoomba, where public transport is limited, services are more spread out, and there are fewer established multicultural communities to fall back on than in a capital city. Left unaddressed, this isolation can affect mental health, family stability, and how quickly people are able to build the confidence and connections needed to work, study, and participate in the community.

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