Parish support brings shelter and hope

One of the most pressing needs facing CatholicCare’s Asylum Seeker Project at present is rental support. Week after week, families arrive seeking help as they face the heartbreaking prospect of losing their homes. With Emergency Relief services stretched beyond capacity, many vulnerable asylum seekers have nowhere else to turn.

Our Lady of Pentecost Parish has continued to stand alongside CatholicCare in responding to this urgent need. The parish’s generous financial support has enabled CatholicCare to provide vital assistance to individuals and families who have no access to government income support.

Through this partnership, CatholicCare in the last five months alone, has been able to:

• Contribute part rent for a family of five over four months, where parents have no work rights and one child has special needs.
• Cover an electricity bill for a single older woman with no income.
• Provide two months’ rent support for a young man who had only recently arrived and is now working casually washing dishes.
• Assist with one month’s rent for a young man completing an aged care placement, who has since secured permanent employment.
• Offer two months’ rent support in shared lodgings for a young man living with disability after losing a limb in war, who is unable to work and has no income.

These examples highlight the diversity and complexity of the needs faced by asylum seekers in our community. For many, rental assistance is required only for a short period—just enough to help them stabilise, find work, or complete training. Yet without this support, the risk of homelessness is very real.

The parish’s ongoing commitment is making a tangible difference, offering dignity and hope to those who might otherwise be left without shelter. As CatholicCare continues this vital work, the need for rental support remains urgent. Together, through prayer, awareness, and practical generosity, we can continue to uphold the Gospel call to welcome the stranger and care for those most in need.

To learn more about the work of CatholicCare and asylum seeker support,  or to donate online visit CatholicCare Victoria.

By:  Kate Baines

Image:  Pexels