Buy A Brick, Build A Home For the House of Welcome

Will you give shelter, hope and the possibility of a better life to those who are most in crisis?

Migrating from a country where you may be subject to torture and trauma to a country where you hope you'll be secure, safe from harm and be able to live a normal life is no stretch of the imagination for many people seeking asylum that turn up every day in crisis on the doorstep of the House of Welcome. For these displaced people navigating the paths to employment, healthcare, access to food, and most importantly housing and shelter, especially when you know little English and have little community support can feel like a hopeless situation. It's not long before a life of poverty, hopelessness and destitution becomes their reality.

To support these clients, the House of Welcome operates the 'Safe Place' Housing Program, providing secure accommodation to almost 100 people seeking asylum, giving them the support needed for rebuilding their lives. It forms the crux of the services we provide and for this reason we are contacting you about the launch our 'Buy A Brick, Build A Home' appeal. Throughout 2015, we are asking you, our supporters, to buy "bricks" in one of our 22 houses and help meet the most basic requirement for survival - safe and secure shelter.

With a roof over their heads and support from the House of Welcome, our clients can begin to build their lives and establish themselves in Australia. Shelter provides the platform of stability that our clients can work from to focus on their asylum claims, obtain financial, legal and healthcare assistance and connect with others in the community. It all becomes a little easier when you don't have to worry about where you're going to sleep that night.

Help us to achieve our goal of selling 4000 bricks. So far we have sold just over 600 bricks, raising a total of $30,000!

Each brick purchased assists in providing a roof over the head of a person seeking asylum, it gives them the practical items necessary to furnish their home, an opportunity to access a House of Welcome caseworker, to financial assistance, psychosocial support and necessary referrals for education, health and legal assistance.

Each brick costs $50. If we can reach our goal of 4000 bricks we will raise $200,000 enabling us to expand our housing stock so that we don't have to turn people away as we currently do on a weekly basis.

Gifts that give more- why not buy a brick for your friends and family this Christmas?

For each brick you purchase you will receive a commemorative certificate, and a tax deductible receipt.