Opinion Humanitarian Crisis Refugees and Asylum Seekers

How can “for profit” businesses support refugee communities in their healing journeys

Tracy Hsu June 28, 2022

2 min read

I believe all organisations, no matter the size or what industry they’re in, should become more socially conscious and find ways to give back to the community. Many charities or NFPs rely on government funding and/or donations to keep the lights on and continue the work they’re doing but cash flow is often the number one challenge for most of these organisations.

Prior to joining LUMOS, I spent many years volunteering at SisterWorks, a Melbourne-based not-for-profit that supports migrant, asylum seeker or refugee women to become financially independent and happily settled in Australia. During my time there, I was able to see and experience first-hand the struggles these women face once they come to Australia but also the challenges the organisation faced in terms of resources or lack there-of; funding to build out and run its support programs, and funding to attract and retain staff to fulfil the organisation’s vision.

There is a lot that ‘for profits’ can do to support refugee communities and asylum seekers in their healing journeys and the responsibility shouldn’t be solely on charities and NFPs. Businesses can help with the healing journeys by doing what they can to empower refugee communities and asylum seekers by offering them the tools to rebuild their lives emotionally, socially and financially. Whether it be offering opportunities for them to participate in the workforce that highlights their unique skills and experience (rather than isolating, labour-intensive jobs), or clearing the pathway for them to access such opportunities. Of course, there is also indirect support such as donating funds to NFPs like SisterWorks too!

LUMOS’ commitment to ESG is something that stood out to me right from the get-go. Keen to give back to the community, LUMOS created a partnership with SisterWorks to continue to spread their message to new supporters and offer them an innovative and cost-effective marketing platform that elevates their visibility and helps them to attract work opportunities for the Sisters.