Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Melbourne recently donated needed supplies to the Asylum Seekers Centre in Dandenong, assisting 100 families ahead of the Christmas season.
Church members of the Braeside Stake (diocese) comprising of six congregations spanning Rosebud to Moorabbin, took the items including non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, and sanitary products to their local meetinghouse, where they were picked up and delivered to the centre on Wednesday 6th November. Approximately three cubic metres were donated as a result of their combined efforts.
Centre founder and facilitator David Spitteler said that the donation will be a great support for families in need, remarking, “We always look forward to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donation, as it is the largest single donation we receive. The goods donated by the Church are items that the centre needs the most, so everything is put to good use.”
This is the second year that members of the Stake have donated to the centre. Tim McCartney, who initially reached out to the centre and organised the drive said that church members were even more generous this year, doubling the amount of good donated compared with last year.
“The items we have contributed to the centre are hugely needed,” said Tim. “These people arrive here with very little, and often nothing. They are given a small allowance, which only gets them so far to live on, so it blesses those on the receiving end, and also helps the centre to continue their good work.”
The Asylum Seekers Centre is an interdenominational Christian charity which has been providing support to asylum seekers and refugees in Melbourne for over 20 years. Staffed by a small team of tireless volunteers, the organisation relies primarily on donations to provide gift vouchers, hampers, and food packs. It also runs a ‘Free Op Shop’, where people can pick up household essentials and clothing.
“When I first looked into how we could help, I was most impressed by the work David and his volunteers do,” said Tim. “It’s a very small operation helping such a large number of people. I think any help we can assist this centre with to take the pressure off them is a wonderful opportunity.”
“Our Heavenly Father blesses all of his children through us and his work goes beyond what happens within our Church, into the wider community and the world. It’s wonderful for us to play a small part in helping others.”