Happy endings don’t just happen.

Seeing refugees regain their health and rebuild their lives in Australia can help us all stand taller.

Not so much ‘do good’ as feel good
Achieving happy endings to terrible stories involves hard work and heartbreak for clients and workers alike. But—as Foundation House people explain— being able to contribute is its own reward. 

Positive growth
We started with one worker in 1987. Now we have a staff team of 90 people and a 12-person management committee. Last year we had 3000 clients on our books. We were asked by UNHCR to produce an international handbook to help governments settle and integrate refugees into their new communities. Our work is extending to innovations in work with schools, research, professional development, education, engagement with the community and raising public awareness.

‘I love being part of making things better’
When some of the children arrive they are so traumatised they can’t speak, can’t make eye contact. And often, a few months later they're bouncing around a school playground kicking a footy like any other kid. To be part of that journey is the greatest privilege in the world.

‘Most vulnerable, most valuable’
The best pictures are the small ones. You wonder why Foundation House has a budget for dental programs, until you learn about survivors of torture who arrive here with teeth in such bad shape they can’t eat. It is a privilege to contribute and to learn about the extraordinary human capacity for rebuilding.

‘We’ve changed the way  the sector looks at services’
Our clients are people, not patients. Foundation House care is holistic and specialised—we work with the whole person. Our staff work in partnership with clients on a one-to-one level. We do counselling, we work with kids in schools, we advocate for clients around issues like housing and employment, and we put them in touch with other agencies.

‘I am humbled by the clients’
You meet a woman who has seen her 13-year-old daughter and her husband killed in front of her, and wonder how she can ever love or laugh again. You can learn a lot from people who’ve been to hell and back. They give you hope and inspiration.

‘The wider the ripples, the richer the result’
The work of Foundation House is like pebbles in a pond. Every interaction has an effect that reaches beyond the individuals and families involved. It allows people to fulfil their potential with dignity.

PS: Sometimes we celebrate
The Foundation House end-of-year celebration is legendary and Foundation House members are welcome. We share wonderful food and dance to live music from around the globe. You meet remarkable people and you know you're part of something special. 

Join Foundation House and hold your head high
Foundation House receives financial support from the Victorian and Australian Governments, but we continue to rely upon voluntary contributions and membership subscriptions to support our local and international work.

Please become a member today…

Download this pdf membership form, fill it in and mail it to Foundation
House.

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Contact Page of this website.