A white Christmas might sound appealing for those of us sweating through the Aussie summer, but the reality for many of the millions of refugees and people seeking asylum in our country in West Asia is that winter is a particularly challenging time of year. The mercury stays below zero for weeks, even months at a time, sometimes with thick snowfalls. Many families live in poorly-insulated homes which are vulnerable to the cold. Further, with the high costs of natural gas in the winter months, the cost of maintaining good hygiene can be beyond the reach of many of these families, and sickness can run rife, especially amongst young children.

The distribution of aid to refugees by Christian groups in our city has been localised at a particular refugee centre for some years. A number of church groups cooperate to purchase consumables (mainly non-perishable food supplies; more recently, gift cards for use at supermarket chains), clothing and basic over-the-counter medical supplies. In themselves, these distributions alone are not sufficient to sustain refugee families long term. However, they are acts of blessing to groups of people who are traumatised, highly disadvantaged, and often ineligible for substantial assistance from the government or other parties.

The goal of this project is to assist displaced people living in our city with their particular physical needs during winter. We hope to use the funds raised to purchase blankets, winter clothing, hygiene products and other items which will help refugees to stay warm and healthy.

Your gift can help bring warmth and dignity to Syrian and Iraqi families this winter, enabling the work of local people who love them and want to see their situation improve.

Donations to this project are tax-deductible.