Circle of Friends Australia Inc. (COFA) is a registered charity that operates mainly in South Australia. It consists of a number of local community groups (Circles) which support refugees and asylum-seekers, both those living in the community, mainly in South Australia, but also those living in other countries in need of help. Members of each ...
Circle of Friends Australia
SOS for people seeking asylum
GOAL
$20,000
Australia > SA > Metro and Regional
Field of Interest
- Housing and homelessness
Target Population
- Unemployed people
- Asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and people from CALD backgrounds
Circle of Friends Australia
On returning to Adelaide in 2019 after 20 years overseas, I mixed with a large, diverse cohort of people: refugees, asylum seekers, recent migrants from all cultures, indigenous, homeless, differently abled, men, women, young, and old. A common thread was their demoralisation in trying to find employment.
I sowed a seed: Jobs Cafe - one man band, purely voluntary (no money involved), referral driven, no engagement with the bureaucracy and "opened the door" to all. The basis was a coffee and chat, identification of the role that they really wanted to pursue and setting them on a process to secure an interview. Added to that, a series of monthly events was staged focusing on elements related to readiness for job search: Resume, Job Identification, Cover Letter, Interview, Networking, Public Speaking. In 2023 the event programme was paused for 18 months due to a medical issue and recovery, while the one on one meets continued.
Project Summary
Circle of Friends Australia Inc. (COFA) is a registered charity that operates mainly in South Australia. It consists of a number of local community groups (Circles) which support refugees and asylum-seekers, both those living in the community, mainly in South Australia, but also those living in other countries in need of help.
Members of each Circle are volunteers who come from a wide range of backgrounds but share a common commitment to welcoming and assisting refugees and asylum seekers in whatever ways are needed.
Circle 121 SOS for Asylum Seekers supports people seeking asylum who possess only short-term, temporary, bridging visas, some of which have expired. These asylum seekers have either been in Australia for over 10 years, having arrived by boat, or were in detention on Manus Island or Nauru before being transferred to the Australian mainland.
Almost none have access to any form of social security, some no longer have work rights, and all find it very difficult to secure employment.
Circle 121 contributes to the rent, utilities, and living costs of this cohort of people seeking asylum, who either don’t have any work or insufficient employment to make ends meet. Without our help, individuals and families would literally be living on the streets. COFA relies on donations, but we are struggling to maintain the level of financial support needed.
We encourage the people we support to find employment and/or obtain qualifications leading to employment, but the provision of food and shelter comes first.
Project Outcomes
For the people seeking asylum who we support, knowing that ,with the support of Circle 121, they will be able to go on living in their rental accommodation, pay their bills and have enought to eat, means that they can then take the next step to finding suitable employment with a view to becoming self-sufficient.
Budget Breakdown
TOTAL BUDGET: $108,000
FUNDING
| Funding source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Donors and grants | $58,000 |
EXPENSES
| Expense item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Payments towards rent, utilities and living costs of people seeking asylum | $108,000 |
Support Circle of Friends Australia
Got a question about this organisation or ready to contribute? Contact us.
Are you an ACF Fundholder? Log in to your Fund Portal to request a grant from your Fund.
Add your organisation to the Funding Platform
Is your not-for-profit organisation seeking funding? Add your organisation to the Funding Platform or upload your funding needs for a project.
Is this your organisation profile? You can request updates by resubmitting a Funding Platform Submission.