A Marulan businessman and philanthropist is offering to help refugees with their housing needs.
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Norman Yammine made the offer at a World Refugee Week launch event in Goulburn on Monday, June 17.
Mr Yammine was born in Sydney of Lebanese heritage. He later established a business in Marulan. He is a philanthropist, supporting a range of initiatives in the area.
He previously assisted the Alkhusi family from Syria with their housing needs. He is now offering to do the same for 10 more refugee families, expected to arrive in Goulburn through the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP) program later in the year.
"I know what it's like to start from scratch," Mr Yammine said.
"I feel passionate about helping refugee families to have a successful start to life in Australia - to thrive and not just survive."
The Alkhusi family arrived in Australia in late 2022 as refugees from Syria.
"Having faced persecution, kidnapping and torture at the hands of ISIS, this resilient family found a safe haven in Goulburn with the help of a group of kind, compassionate locals who participated in CRISP," a spokesperson said.
Their story inspired the broader Goulburn community to band together, with groups of volunteers joining forces with a local business to provide a warm welcome and practical support to 10 additional refugee families.
The CRISP is an initiative led by Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA) in partnership with the Commonwealth government. It empowers local groups of five or more people to welcome and support refugees arriving in Australia for the first time.
It's inspired by the Canadian community sponsorship experience which has been active since the 1970s and has seen 370,000 refugees settled through the efforts of private individuals and organisations, in addition to the country's government-led refugee intake.
Since its launch in mid 2022, CRISP has become active in all Australian states and territories and has seen more than 460 refugees welcomed by groups in metropolitan and regional communities all around the country.
Goulburn group coordinator, Maggie Patterson, said it was a meaningful way to make a global impact through local action.
"I heard about the CRISP and I just thought at last there is something that ordinary community members can do to make a difference in a really complex space," she said.
Maggie was motivated to get involved from her own experience of losing a daughter to illness while overseas.
"The bond between the support group members and the Alkhusi family is one that runs deep. They consider each other like family and have remained in touch even following completion of their formal involvement in the CRISP program," a spokesperson said.
Father of two, Mazin Alkhusi, said he was deeply grateful to the group
"Our friends here have helped us considerably to organise our lives. They taught us many new things, showed us kindness... without expecting anything in return," he said.
The Alkhusi family's story inspired Mr Yammine to take action.
The story of the Alkhusi family and the Goulburn community has been captured in a short video.
"We are honoured to showcase the inspiring story of the Goulburn community and the Alkhusi family and the power of community sponsorship," CRSA chief executive, Lisa Button said
"Community sponsorship programs like the CRISP empower everyday Australians to extend a helping hand to refugees, fostering new connections, mutual learning and and building stronger, more compassionate societies."
