How many times during the Covid crisis have we heard politicians say, “We’re all in the boat together” – while continuing to leave some people in our community out of the rescue vessel?
Throughout the pandemic, Uniting has worked alongside other faith groups and civil society organisations in the Sydney Alliance to address this inconsistency.
We’ve raised our voice with our partners to call on federal and state governments to extend vital safety-net measures to everyone living in the community, regardless of their visa status.
The campaign has involved a concerted effort of story collection, leadership development, writing to Members of Parliament, direct lobbying efforts and getting media attention.
In May we welcomed the NSW government announcement to provide $20 million in emergency assistance for international students, and recently $6 million for all temporary visa holders – including $1.5 million specifically for people seeking asylum.
As part of Refugee Week in June, we held an online forum where we invited the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Australia and other church members to share stories from the frontline.
We’re asking everyone to take two key actions to help people currently left behind:
- Write to your federal MP and ask them to ensure everyone in need has a safety net, including access to Jobseeker and Medicare.
- Drop off a food donation at a series of food bank drop-off points throughout Sydney as part of a new collaboration with the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and JRS. If you’re not in Sydney, find a food bank service offered by a Uniting Church or other organisation near you.
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Watch this video to learn more, or find a location near you on this map.
More information: Dee Davidian at ddavidian@uniting.org
