Dear friends,

Thank you for joining us for another month, accompanying, serving and advocating for the rights of people seeking asylum.

As we reflect on the profound call to “journey together in hope” delivered by Pope Francis during this Jubilee Year, we are reminded everyday that hope is not merely a passive feeling, but a powerful call to action.

Our mission to Accompany, Serve and Advocate alongside people seeking asylum and forcibly displaced people in Australia is grounded in a vision of dignity, humanity, and justice for all.

Guided by our foundation in Ignatian Spirituality, and by the instructions of our founding father Pedro Arrupe SJ, we continue to provide essential services “where the need is greatest”, to those who are often made to feel invisible and marginalised by systems and policies that seek to dehumanise and deter brave people from exercising their agency.

Demand only increases for our essential services, our teams are stretched beyond capacity, and we work with limited resources and minimal funding across the refugee sector.

As you will read in our Autumn LINK Newsletter, our Complex Casework, Foodbank, Employment, and Leadership programs —and our specialist Finding Safety Project for preventing and responding to gender-based violence— continue to provide a crucial lifeline to people seeking asylum in our community.

Read Julia’s story to find out more!

This is why your contributions mean so much to us, particularly with an important election upcoming.

Each act of support you offer—whether through time, resources, or advocacy—fuels the hope that drives the change we are all working towards. Together, we can create safer, more just communities where all people, regardless of their visa status, are treated with the dignity and given the opportunities they deserve. We see this hope in action every day at JRS.

If you are in a position to do so this Lenten period, please consider putting your hope into action, and making a donation to support refugees and people seeking asylum. 

We are so grateful that you continue to journey with us in hope. Whether by deepening your support through our many engagement activities, joining our advocacy initiatives, or providing life-changing financial support— together, we are building a future of justice and compassion for all.

Thank you for your unwavering commitment.

In solidarity,

Josephine – and all your friends at JRS Australia