St Michael’s Catholic Church Parish are currently conducting a food drive for the House of Welcome.
What is the House of Welcome?
The House of Welcome (HoW) is committed to assisting refugees and people seeking asylum without discrimination on the basis of age, gender, race, sexuality and religion. HoW recognises that this group of people, displaced from their homes and homelands through war, conflict or persecution arrive in Australia suffering from trauma and loss; they are in need of help and accompaniment, especially those who have been further traumatised by lengthy periods in Immigration Detention and the difficulties of settlement.
Clients come to the House of Welcome through word of mouth and by referral from other organisations. The HoW ensures they get a welcome, and that they understand their rights and get a fair opportunity to realise their human rights. The HoW often supports those most in need, those who are not eligible for any housing, financial or medical support, those at greatest risk of destitution and hardship. The HoW also supports the settlement and empowerment of its clients so that they can join the local community with a sense of pride and dignity.
HoW has a casework team who support out clients with medical and legal referrals and a housing coordinator who looks after all HoW properties for transitional housing in Western Sydney. However, HoW is driven by its volunteers who provide a welcoming reception, English classes, job support, orientation and accompaniment to appointments, gardening and home maintenance, social activities and much, much more.
Why Does HoW have a Food Bank?
Access to a food bank, stocked entirely through donations, is one of the services the House of Welcome provides to their clients. The opportunity to choose their own food from the food bank restores some dignity to people living in desperate circumstances and reassures them that there are people in Australia who care about them.
How Does the Food Drive Work?
A collection bin for donated items will be at Woolworths Lane Cove until 25 May 2016 (at the bottom of the escalators). Members of the public are invited to show their support by donating culturally appropriate items from a list provided by the House of Welcome (see below).
Food Items To Donate:
•Cooking Oil (1 Litre containers)
•Sugar (1kg bags)
•Flour (plain and self-raising, 1kg bags)
•Canned Fish (Tuna)
•Canned Chick Peas
•Rice (Basmati, 1kg bags)
•Canned Corn (not creamed)
•Canned Peas and Carrot
•Canned fruit (peaches, pears, pineapple, apricot)
•Coffee (instant coffee preferred)
•Honey, Jam
•Savoury Biscuits
•Instant Noodles (such as Maggi 2 minute noodles)
•Salt & Pepper
•Cooking Spices – Cumin, Curry Powder, Tumeric, Ginger, Cinnamon, Chilli Powder
(Please no soup, baked beans or tinned spaghetti!)
Non-Food Items To Donate:
•Laundry detergent
•Dishwashing Liquid
•Shampoo
•Razors & Shaving Cream
•Toilet Paper
•Nappies (larger sizes – walker/junior)
If you are shopping over the next few weeks, please put some of the above in your basket. They can then be placed in Food Drive bin at Woolworths.
This is not the first time that Lane Cove has supported a food drive for the House of Welcome, in December last year the Lane Cove West Public School put together 30 storage boxes full of food and hygiene products. This donation was greatly appreciated by the House of Welcome who came out personally to thank the school. Unfortunately, there are so many people in need that the House of Welcome’s food bank is nearly empty and they need help.
Do you have a local issue you would like help with? ITC is here to help just email us at [email protected]
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