HOW WE CAN HELP

If you are eligible to register as a community member, or if you are already part of our community, SCARF can help you with some of the challenges of building a new life in Australia. Please note that you will need to speak with SCARF before attending any of our programs.

Check to see if you are eligible here.

The way we help is through our programs. As a SCARF community member, you can access as many of our programs as you need, for as long as you need. Information about each of our core programs is provided below.

SCARF is just one service providing support to refugee entrants in the Illawarra. For more information on other service providers, view the Refugee Communities in the Illawarra 2020 report prepared by Wollongong City Council.

Education and Tutoring

SCARF’s education and tutoring program provides services to support the learning of primary, secondary and tertiary students from refugee backgrounds.

• High School Tutoring matches students from refugee backgrounds with volunteer tutors and is open to high-school aged students studying at school, college or TAFE. Homework Help runs on Tuesdays  from 4pm – 6pm).
• Homework Club matches primary school students from refugee backgrounds with high school students. Homework Club runs once a week (Wednesday, 3:30pm – 4:30pm).
• Tertiary Support Program is designed for students of TAFE, University of Wollongong and UOW College. The program provides support and information about learning at university and about university services. 

L2P Driver Mentoring

SCARF’s L2P driver mentoring program supports refugee entrants in the Illawarra to gain driving experience on Australian roads, obtain their provisional license and learn about road safety.

• L2P mentoring session: We connect volunteer driver mentors with SCARF community members to help them to gain driving experience and prepare for the P plate test. Some experience and skill is required to be accepted into the L2P program. Acceptance is at the discretion of L2P Coordinators.  
• Other L2P driving activities: We run regular information and training sessions to increase community awareness about safe driving, owning a car and navigating Australian licensing processes.

Social Inclusion

SCARF’s social inclusion program engages people from refugee backgrounds in social, recreational and educational activities to promote harmony, inclusion and belonging.

• Let’s Chat: SCARF hosts an informal group meet-up where people from a refugee background can connect, practice conversational English and learn more about local support services. Over a cuppa and a snack, many stories have been shared, new words learned and friendships developed and sustained. Attendance at Let’s Chat is open to all SCARF community members on a drop-in basis.
• Social Inclusion events: SCARF regularly hosts activities such as excursions, women’s nights, celebration days, social gatherings and Let’s Chat sessions for people of all ages as a part of the program. Emails are sent to our community with information about these events.

SCARF Youth

SCARF youth programs support young refugee entrants to thrive in their new communities. SCARF youth activities include a range of social, recreational and educational initiatives.

• Let’s Lead is a leadership project for culturally and linguistically diverse youth (particularly refugee youth) offering opportunities for personal development, cross-cultural learning and community engagement. The program aims to develop an ability to lead in daily thoughts, words, and actions through regular workshops. SCARF has partnered with Cameron Brown from Explore Discover Act for the delivery of the program. 

Employment Support

We work with participants to identify language, education, and employment goals and receive one-on-one support. Participants identify existing skills and experience; access education and training opportunities; build professional networks and develop employment confidence through work-ready skill workshops (e.g. resume writing, identifying transferable skills, interview skills, addressing selection criteria and Australian workplace norms).

Diversity and Inclusion Services

SCARF’s diversity and inclusion services supports volunteer community educators and speakers from refugee backgrounds to deliver tailored presentations for students, teachers, local businesses and other interested groups to help build understanding of the refugee experience.

Special projects

SCARF is involved in a range of ongoing and one-off special projects which support our community, raise awareness about the refugee experience, and/or encourage community inclusion.

• The Burmese Community Garden Project: The Burmese Community Garden project provides a plot of land for families and individuals from within the Burmese community to grow and harvest food produce. For the Burmese Community, growing and harvesting vegetables is a valued practice from home that’s important to maintain. The community garden is a special bridge of connection for the Burmese community to feel close to their traditions. The project has been active since 2017 and is supported by Multicultural Communities Council of the Illawarra (MCCI) and SCARF. The land for the Burmese Community Garden is kindly arranged by St Therese Catholic Parish. 
• Refugee Week activities, Harmony Day activities: SCARF aims to celebrate diversity as a part of Harmony Day (March 21) each year. In 2018, SCARF held a morning tea with an interactive musical activity and speakers from SCARF’s Community Education team.
• Other projects under this program include Refugee Week activities, Harmony Day activities, ‘A Mile in my Shoes’ audio exhibition, and ‘The More you Know’ photography exhibition.

• View the calendar for more information.