Thornbury Community Church welcomes refugee communities

Each year, Refugee Week allows us to share stories and celebrate the incredible support that many of our charity partners provide to migrant and refugee communities. Today, we shine a light on one of our many charity partners who continue make an incredible impact on those families and individuals navigating their new lives in Australia…

Since 2005, Pastor Paul has been volunteering at the Thornbury Community Church, working to establish a food relief program to complement the range of inclusive and community-oriented programs they offer.

Working out of the community hall adjacent to the church, Paul works with a regular team of 10-15 volunteers to operate the food program on a Wednesday afternoon. Each week, volunteer Shanaz picks up the food from Foodbank in a recently acquired van. The food is then packed into hampers of fresh and staple foods, with close to 200 families being assisted monthly.

We assist a big variety of people here – refugees, migrants, people with special needs, people on their own, the elderly, students and those experiencing homelessness

In between working full-time, being a full-time minister and running programs at the church, Paul travels around Melbourne picking up donated furniture and delivering it to newly settled migrant families and households in need.

In addition, the community church also operates a series of activities to both empower people experiencing hardship and provide a sense of community and social inclusion. These programs include fortnightly men’s and women’s groups facilitated by professional counsellors, volunteer nights, community meals and free training and skills workshops.

For Paul, the driving force of the community centre is to provide a welcoming and comforting place where everyone feels safe – regardless of age, gender, religion and ethnicity.

“There is a lot of misery and pain in society. We try to alleviate as much as we can and work to create a genuine, welcoming environment where people feel themselves. They find a family and a sense of belonging here.”

Read more about Thornbury Community Church here.