Community Voice: Captain Stuart McGifford, Dandenong Salvation Army corps officer
IT’S been just over a year and a half since The Salvation Army appointed my wife Nari and I to be the corps officers of the Dandenong Salvation Army. It didn’t take long to realise Dandenong was an amazing place.
Fifteen years ago I started work for the Salvation Army and for nearly nine years I’ve been a church minister.
Yet it is here in Dandenong where I have met more people who are in need of food, help and a hand-up than anywhere else I’ve been.
It was in those early weeks that I realised that the significant majority we were meeting had only recently arrived in Australia.
In The Salvation Army we believe in no strings attached assistance. If we have the capacity to help then we will, it doesn’t matter where you come from, what you believe, whether it was your own fault or not and we don’t expect anything back. Yet I continue to be amazed by how many people who received help, want to help out.
Many asylum seekers and new migrants were among those who were quick to put their hands up to help. Painting, cleaning, stacking food, dropping things off to people in need were all things that we have received help with.
It’s in this city that is sometimes so poor that I have seen just how rich we are. Generosity and helping each other out seems to be values of this city, it’s a great thing.
New arrivals of all sorts, including asylum seekers, can often get a bad rap. The vindictive demonisation of them as a people group in the political rhetoric lacks a proper understanding or respect for the circumstances they are fleeing.
The new migrants I’m meeting are seeking to give generously back to the community. In so many ways they are just the type of Australians we need to keep this country great.
As a former employment consultant, I see the devastating impact not having work rights has on asylum seekers.
It impacts our community, too – productive, working people make good citizens, pay tax and there is something satisfying about doing a good day’s work.
I’m proud of our council for advocating for this recently and I hope and pray there is movement on this issue.
In the meantime, I thank all Dandenong’s residents, recent and long-standing, for their continued generosity.
