You Belong Australia
Helping refugees and migrants overcome isolation and rebuild their lives through community-driven support and empowerment.
You Belong Australia supports refugees, asylum seekers, and culturally diverse communities in Toowoomba and the Gold Coast by reducing social isolation and fostering connection through practical, volunteer-driven support. Their work focuses on empowering individuals to rebuild their lives through culturally safe, person-centred initiatives like English literacy, digital skills, and community navigation.
2025 Pitch
Funds Raised: $30,500
Pitched at Equity and Inclusion event to expand its Good Neighbours program, training 200 new volunteers to support over 1,000 refugees, asylum seekers, and culturally diverse individuals across Toowoomba and the Gold Coast. This will boost English skills, digital literacy, community connection, and reduce chronic isolation for newly arrived families.
6 Month Impact
12 Month Impact
The funding directly resourced the Good Neighbour Initiative to recruit, train, and support volunteers providing home-visit mentorship and community connection points for 150 newly arrived refugees in regional Queensland.
Impact Story:
“When Hoshmin Haso first arrived in Toowoomba, she was carrying more than most of us could imagine. A Yazidi mother, she had survived ISIS persecution and years of displacement in Iraqi refugee camps. At one point she found herself alone with her four children, separated from her husband for years. Her journey with You Belong began with a single home visit.
Through our Good Neighbour Initiative, a trained volunteer began visiting Hoshmin in her home, offering friendship, a listening ear, and a first point of connection in an unfamiliar place. That relationship became the foundation of trust that opened the door to everything that followed. From there, Hoshmin began attending our weekly English classes, where she found far more than language. As she put it, "It was the first time I saw friends and learnt English. It was good for me." Those classes gave her community, confidence, and a growing sense of belonging.
Today, Hoshmin's family is reunited. Her husband is by her side and her children are thriving in school. "I am proud of myself," she says, "because I live with my children and do not have any problems with my family." Hoshmin's journey, from isolation to a thriving and connected life, is exactly what the Good Neighbour Initiative makes possible. This truly miraculous journey all began at her front door, thanks to supporters like those at the TFN event.”
Learn more about You Belong Australia
Supporting Sustainable Development Goals:
