As some of you may have read in the past, my Mum, Margaret regularly travels from Ballarat to visit people seeking asylum at MITA, a detention centre in Broadmeadows.
Yesterday, my parents and I joined thousands of people around Australia who walked for Justice for Refugees. On their way home to Ballarat, Mum visited MITA and gave clothes and other items to 7 families. (I donated my Richmond scarf to a boy who is a keen supporter. He and his family have been in MITA for nearly a year.)
Mum has given me some further suggestions for donations for those who’d like to help those at MITA. Any assistance would be very much appreciated. Items can be either new or good quality second-hand.
Men, women and children
- Jeans (straight or narrow legs only
- T-shirts
- Warm tops, jackets, night wear etc for winter
- Hats, scarfs and glove
- Shoes (no high heels)
Women and girls
- Leggings
- Headbands, hair clips, necklaces, bracelets
Children
- Colouring, activity, and sticker books
- Pencil cases, coloured pencils, textas
Other
- Large pieces of material (about 2 metres) for making tops and dresses
- Backpacks for children
- Soft travel bags or sport bags for adults
- Large handbags or bags to carry nappies etc.
If you are able to assist (and live in Melbourne or Ballarat), please get in contact with me.
——————————————
There are also a number of practical actions we can all take to both advocate for more humane refugee policy and to assist those refugees & asylum seekers in Australia.
* The wonderful Asylum Seeker Resource Centre has a list of ways you can get involved and also produce excellent fact sheets & mythbusters to assist you in discussing these issues. *Amnesty International also has useful resources on refugee issues if you’d like to learn more.
* Write to your federal Member of Parliament: Oxfam have some tips on how to do this.
*Spread the word: host a screening or encourage friends, family and colleagues to watch Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea film. Doco is available to buy for $20 here: http://deepblueseafilm.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/deepblueseafilm
*Volunteer: there are a range of organisations that work to support asylum seekers and refugees. For example, you could tutor refugees in homework programs. See Refugee Council’s list of organisations in your community.
MsLods 