Mercy Community has celebrated the unsung heroes of Queensland’s asylum seeker community at its annual Oscar Romero Awards Ceremony.
Last year alone, more than 16,000 individuals sought safety and security in Australia, with 3,500 finding refuge in Queensland.
Mercy Community supports around 440 of those seeking asylum through the work of its Romero Centre – which receives no government support and operates solely on donations from the wider community.
Mercy Community Inclusion Manager, Dr. Rod Kippax, said the centre’s awards – sponsored by Brisbane’s All Hallows’ School – aimed to shine a light on the triumphant journeys of those forced to leave their homes due to war, natural disasters, poverty, or persecution.
He said: “The Oscar Romero Awards Ceremony is a chance for the Brisbane community to share in the celebration of the inspirational journeys and the unrecognised contribution that people seeking asylum make every day to Queensland.
“There is no doubt in my mind that everyone who came along left feeling inspired, moved, and taken aback by the joy of a community that deeply understands that love has no borders.”
Awards were given for social justice, resilience, and peer support, education, and employment.
The Business with a Heart award went to Logix Engineering at Sumner Park, in Brisbane’s centenary suburbs, and the Organisation with a Heart was given to non-for-profit group Immigration Women’s Support Services, at Highgate Hill.
More than 160 people attended the event, which took place on October 28 at Brisbane’s All Hallows’ School, including Romero supporters, sponsors, participants and volunteers.
Together they helped to raise more than $6,000 for the centre’s programs and services, ensuring that those seeking asylum continue to receive the support they so desperately need.
Dr Kippax said: “We would like to thank everyone who attended for their generosity and support for these resilient individuals, and for their contribution to the ongoing work of the Romero Centre.”
