Refuge of Hope 2017 Year in Review

2017 Year in Review

Member of Community Hubs Australia Inc.

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A Message from the Program Manager,

AngĂŠlica Correa In 2017, we had an exciting and successful year.

We reached 6,432 people through our programs and services with the amazing support of 130 volunteers, 3 staff and 5 University student placements.

Our student placements and volunteers were a key backbone of all our activities which enable us to do so much more. We had 2,000 hours of volunteering in 2017. With the strong growth, an increase of 22% arrivals to Melbourne from Latin America in 2017, our services continue to expand. The success of our food distribution, settlement services and Welcome to Melbourne programs were foundational in building social cohesion and community connectedness.

Under the management of Community Hubs Australia, we have achieved stronger governance, leadership development, mentoring and administrative support.

Thank you to Peter, Sonja and Luke!

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In 2017, we launched three new programs in mentoring, Brazilian focus and skills & career development. You can read more about these programs in this report.

Angelica Correa

AngĂŠlica Correa

A big thank you to all our partners, funders and volunteers for their contributions.

A special thanks to Community Hubs Australia, Study Melbourne, the Victorian Government, Victorian Multicultural Commission, Lord Mayors Charitable Fund and the Scanlon Foundation.

Angelica Correa

Angelica Correa

What is Refuge of Hope The Refuge of Hope is a non-profit charitable organisation under the management of Community Hubs Australia. www.communityhubs.org.au www.refugeofhope.org.au

Our mission is to assist immigrants, refugees and international students from Latin America living in Victoria to promote social cohesion and community connectedness.

Our Values We provide a safe environment for those seeking a new life in Melbourne We care for those in need with respect We build community through settlement & social cohesion We are the warm hug that everyone needs

Our Purpose Our purpose is to improve the lives and experiences for all members of the Latin American Community within Australia, particularly to care for and support fellow Latin Americans living in Melbourne.

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What do we do?

The Refuge of Hope provides programs and services for newly arrived students and migrants, including: • Education, Welcome to Melbourne events, and information initiatives to help with settlement • Cultural events and social activities • Food packages • Emergency, crisis and practical support for those who require help • Support to improve language skills, employment advice and mentoring • Support to improve health, wellbeing & personal development • Referrals to specialised services when needed • Case management and counselling services

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“I have had the opportunity to attend two Food Donations by Refuge of Hope.

They are honestly a huge help, you can’t imagine how hard it is to be far from hope, sick, without a job and without money. To find someone who gives you a bag of cereal, tuna, biscuits, vegetables, pies and more - they help you to solve your situation and have hope that everything will get better.

Thank you” - Jennifer

Why we do what we do?

As a newly arrived migrant myself in 2011, l know firsthand the struggles and hardships people face.

Refuge of Hope can be a home away from home.

We offer a simple welcome, and support where needed.

Angelica Correa, ROH Founder

“I love it because they are always thinking about how to help us, in particular I love the English Conversation Clubs, I feel that because so many Latinos live here in Melbourne, we do not have many opportunities to speak English and this space provides us with one of the best ways to do that” – Marcela

As a new migrant in Melbourne, it’s not always easy at Christmas time.. but thanks to the Candle's Night, I felt at home with my wider Latino family and it was very special for me”. - Daniel

“The program gave me the chance to meet people from different countries, share time with them experiencing their culture and help them to establish in Melbourne by using my experience.”

- Nestor, Buddy Program Mentor.

“I didn’t know about Refuge of Hope so I asked and and it seemed to me a magnificent idea, very useful and necessary for giving a hand from one person to the other, for trying to help us with whatever possible and live a little with the good of humanity! In those moments I needed to share experiences, vent a little and enrich myself at a cultural level and I could do that thanks to Refuge of Hope.” – Laura

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Key activities, achievements and programs in 2017 General Overview There are over 29,000 Latin American people living in the beautiful state of Victoria, an increase of over 400% since the 2011 census.

Moving to a new country can present many challenges, including culture shock, learning a foreign language and being far from family.

400%

more than in 2011

The Refuge of Hope’s programs and services have been developed in response to these identified needs.

29,000

Latin Americans in Melbourne

English Conversation Club Every fortnight we run our English Conversation Club in the CBD. English speakers work alongside Spanish speaking people to learn English and connect with others.

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In 2017, we conducted 32 session reaching 464 people, with the support of Australian and LatinAmerican volunteers.

464

people

Food Distribution In 2017, we distributed 1,650 food bags in St. Parish Hall in North Fitzroy . At $120 per package, that’s an estimated total of $200,000!

Mainly newly arrived individuals from Latin America face personal and financial hardships.

1,650

We welcome and care for these people in their settlement journey and new life in Melbourne.

With the support of the Foofbank Victoria, Feed Melbourne Appeal and 40 volunteers, we provided groceries, friendship, cultural support and community connectedness to hundreds of people in difficult situations.

Food bags with an estimated value of

$200,000

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Workshops to help with settlement and connectedness In 2017, we provided 11 workshops for 1,650 Latin American community members about employment, tenancy rights, legal issues, taxes, health and wellness, transport and settlement in general.

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Workshops with more than

The aim is to provide valuable information in partnership with experts, from local organisations and businesses, regarding topics assist to newly arrived people from Latin America.

1,650

attendees

Welcome and Social Activities In 2017, we conducted 56 “Welcome to Melbourne� activities aimed to support newly arrived students and migrants. The main purpose was to build friendships and supportive relationships within the Latin-

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American community and cross-culturally.

We held a variety of social, sport and cultural events to build cohesion within the Latin American community and aid integration into Australian society.

Mental and Emotional Wellbeing In 2017, we provided 33 events engaging over 1,000 people. These activities were designed to make people feel less isolated and improve their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

Workshops - Yoga - Self-care - Stress management - Missing home

- How to deal with home sickness - School of the Word

Cultural Activities We also provided opportunities for the local community to come together for special cultural events.

Our major cultural event in 2017 was ‘Candles Night’, a traditional Latin American Christmas celebration. For many people, it can be especially hard at Christmas time to be a long way from loved ones. This event helps to alleviate homesickness

and provide an opportunity to publicly celebrate their cultural heritage, a reminder that they are not alone. In 2017, Candles Night was attended by more than 620 guests.

620

guests at Candles Night

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Referral Service In 2017, we referred 220 people to external agencies and organisations in response to a range of challenges experienced by community members including mental health, financial, legal and counselling services.

Case management We have also provided case management to 264 people, predominately focused on employment.

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Mental Health

Financial issues

Legal issues

264

Counselling Services

people

CANDLES NIGHT 130 Volunteers Plan and Ejecution

Volunteer Program Volunteers play an essential role in the everyday running of the Refuge of Hope. Roles are multifaceted and include; Administration, General Assistance, Graphic Design, Student Placement, Counsellor, Information Technology, Events and Photography. In return volunteers receive new skills, invaluable experience and the opportunity to expand their social and professional networks.

In 2017 we focused on developing the capacity of our 130 volunteers and 80 helpers, forming policies and procedures to underpin the

130 & 80 8,590 1,750 Volunteers

Helpers

successful delivery of activities. Having now employed a Portuguese speaking Support Officer we are particularly excited to see an increase in the volunteer involvement from the Brazilian community.

The Volunteer program has an improved structure that includes a confidentiality agreement,policies and training for new and existing volunteers. This is largely a result of mentoring received from the AMES Australia Manager.

ENGLISH CONVERSATION 10 Volunteers 6 hours/volunteer

Volunteering hours

Volunteering times

FOOD DISTRIBUTION 11 Events 30 Volunteers monthly 8 hour per volunteer 13

International student mentoring. Buddy Program The LAIS (Latin American International Student) Buddy Program aims to create a special relationship between two people based on mutual trust and respect. Matches were made based on gender, language and profession.

An established (living in Australia more than 6 months) LAIS mentor is paired with a newly arrived LAIS mentee to provide guidance and support in their transition and adjustment to Australian life.

In 2017, approximately 47 Mentors and 47 Mentees relationships were established, helping newly arrived Latin Americans to connect and improve their knowledge of Australia.

Whether a student’s stay is temporary or permanent, this support is essential in building

Expression of interest

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Unify the interests between volunteers and students

links to Australia and a positive international student experience.

Furthermore, we established a WhatsApp group with buddies and mentors where information about job opportunities and activities continues to be shared.

We developed, piloted and implemented volunteer guidelines, an agreement on confidentiality and the LAIS Buddy Program Policy.

47 & 47 Mentors

Confidential agreement

Mentees

Follow-up between mentors and students (whatsapp, phone, catch-up)

Latin American Skills Development Program Through volunteering with the Refuge of Hope students developed new skills and practiced existing ones to support them in gaining local employment experience.

In 2017 the Latin American Skill Development pilot enabled mentoring for some of the well qualified and highly skilled LAIS volunteers,

who need to develop local experience, and for some of the more established Latin Americans eager to support new arrivals. Those who gained local experience include photographers, translators, IT engineers and graphic designers.

Brazilian/Portuguese speaking engagement A Brazilian born and Portuguese speaking member joined the team February 2017. His presence has encouraged the participation of Brazilian students in ROH activities. All our communications, whether in print, online or on social media are now provided in Portuguese, Spanish and English.

A survey was also undertaken in order to better understand the needs of Brazilian international students.

We have created partnerships with various Brazilian Organizations including: Abrisa (Brazilian Association in Victoria), CCBV (Brazilian Citizen Council in Victoria) and CAPA – (non-for-profit organization that provides psychological support for the Portuguese speaking community).

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Our Structure Community Hubs Australia Board Peter Scanlon Tony Fry Kin Ho Kate Wilkie Andrew Kay Angelica Correa

Refuge of Hope Management Team AngĂŠlica Correa Program Manager

Dr Sonja Hood CEO

Oliver Matos Project Coordinator

Luke Atkin COO

Fernanda Maldonado Project Coordinator

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Community Hubs Australia Management Team

Strategic Outlook 2018 and beyond Due to the increasing numbers of Latin Americans living in Victoria, the Refuge of Hope has experienced growth in 2017 which is expected to continue resulting in the expansion of existing

programs in 2018.

To best meet the needs of this expanding population, we will need to adapt in certain areas of our organisation.

Our Special thanks to our supporters Victoria State Government Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources Study Melbourne Student Center Multicultural Affairs and Social Cohesion Division Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation - 2017 Youth in Philanthropy Transurban’s Citylink Tulla Widening Project Feed Melbourne Appeal Foodbank Victoria Scanlon Foundation Hispanic Catholic Chaplain CityLink The independent financial report of Community Hubs Australia is available upon request.

The annual income of Refuge of Hope in 2017 was approximately

$140,000

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Visit Refuge of Hope 15A/20 Commercial Rd. Melbourne 3004 T 0415224437 E info@refugeofhope.org.au W www.refugeofhope.org.au

Member of Community Hubs Australia Inc.

Refugeofhopemelbourne

Incorporated Association (VIC) N°: A00581075 - Registration and Endorsement - ABN: 44671083883 Refuge of Hope is a Public Benevolent Institution registered with the Australian Charities and Not for Profit Commission and endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR).