This Thursday, Ads-Up Refugee Network will be hold their inaugural gala in New York City to fundraise for an education fund to assist Manus and Nauru refugees resettling in America.
All money raised goes to helping refugees find their feet in the USA. Many of my international friends may not know that refugees that arrive by boat in Australia are held in camps, in limbo often for years. The conditions are horrific, and Australia like the US is a nation divided over the topic of immigration. You can read more about the Nauru experience at this link.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/this-is-what-happened-to-the-children-on-nauru-that-australia-rejected
Also what many people don’t know is the US has allowed 1200 of the Manus and Nauru refugees to settle in the US. A group of Australian expats living in New York have established a non-profit, Ads Up, to make their landing a little warmer than it was in our own country.
Refugees arriving in the United States are provided with 90 days of limited assistance from resettlement agencies – after that, they’re on their own. ADs Up aims to fill the gap by mobilizing the great Aussie diaspora to do what our governments could not, create a network of social support and provide necessary financial assistance.
Financial Assistance
Most refugees arrive in the United States with no financial means and several thousand dollars of debt – the US government requires them to repay the cost of the airfare from their detention centre.
There are a range of financial needs refugees may have: from winter clothing to emergency accommodation; books for children to mental health treatment following years of detention; money for English classes or an affordable laptop. This Thursday’s fundraiser is focusing on education.
If you don’t live in New York, or even if you do, the event is sold out, you can contribute by participating in the fun of this online auction.
https://e.givesmart.com/events/dd9/
Other ways you can help is to find out if refugees are being settled in your city and connect with them to:
Grab a coffee together
Help them prep for a driving test
Show them around their new city
Connect them to your community and help with entry-level jobs
Be a referee to vouch for them at a job interview
Be a referee for accommodation applications
Be a friendly face to welcome them to their new city!
Reach out to Ads Up https://www.ads-up.org to get started.