Welcome to Maleny (W2M)
Welcome to Maleny is a refugee advocacy group based in Maleny, Qld in the Sunshine Coast hinterland on the traditional country of Jinaburra and Kabi Kabi people.
Formed in 2016 in National Refugee Week by a group of people who felt more was needed to be done to support people seeking asylum and from refugee backgrounds, it is going from strength to strength 6 years later! The passionate and dedicated committee meet once a month, and is strongly supported in the wider Maleny and surrounds community, who appreciate the mouthpiece that W2M provides for them on this issue. W2M is an incorporated not-for-profit organisation that is currently seeking DGR (Deductible Gift Recipiency) with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).
Every year the group undertakes a number of different activities including:
- fund raising such as raffles and pop-up events selling donated items,
- contributing money to people seeking asylum and organisations supporting asylum seekers,
- sending communication technology resources to individuals at refugee-run schools
- holding concerts and film nights to raise money and awareness,
- meeting with local members to advocate for refugees,
- working together with other regional, state, and nationwide refugee support organisations,
- lobbying Sunshine Coast regional council to become a Refugee Welcome Zone (RWZ),
- Monthly support payments to families and individuals seeking asylum in Afghanistan and Indonesia.
Recent achievements also include running 3 major Chuffed.org campaigns and another smaller one in 2021-22. Through the Chuffed.org campaigns, W2M raised over $85,000 to send 2 individual asylum seekers and a family of 4 to Canada for resettlement under the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program (aka Group of 5 program) and another $5000 to pay for visas for a family of 7 in Kabul to leave their country and hopefully start a new life in the US or Australia.
Every year during Refugee Week local events are held in Maleny, including a film night with relevance to refugees and asylum seekers and a concert engaging and supporting musicians from refugee backgrounds. Funds raised from these events go towards W2M’s regular work.
Membership to the group costs $10 a year, which contributes to our costs and advocacy work. New members are welcome and can join by emailing the secretary, annkoenig4@gmail.com
Please check out W2M on facebook https://www.facebook.com/WelcomeToMaleny/