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The
Tom McCabe Fund highlights the connectedness and shared humanity
embodied in Australian multiculturalism and typifies the work
undertaken by the New Hope Foundation at a grassroots community
level.
Background to
the Tom McCabe Fund for Refugee Youth
TOM
McCABE
31.10.85 –
27.03.05
Tom was a funny,
gentle and respected 19 year old who had studied his VCE by
distance education at DECV Thornbury while living in Hong Kong with
his mother. With all of the distractions of that city, he
passed at the end of last year (2004) and had commenced a Bachelor
of Business (Event Management) in Melbourne this year. He was very
excited about his course as he loved music and was looking forward
to a career in the event management industry either here or in his
beloved Hong Kong.
Before Easter, we
heard an interview in Melbourne on 774 about a refugee family from
Liberia who had just arrived in Australia after waiting for 14
years in a refugee camp in Guinea. We talked about it and about our
relative prosperity. We could not imagine what this mother had been
through with her children. The family had arrived in Australia in
January 2005 and settled into their new home when suddenly the
mother died and left 19 year old Joseph to support his siblings.
Touched by this story, Tom decided to donate his Playstation and
some other big boy items while I had bedding and kitchen things
which would be useful.
Then Tom was
accidentally killed by a vehicle on Easter Sunday.
I kept my promise
to support Joseph. When I met Joseph and his family, this time I
was able to give him many more items which had been donated since
Tom’s death, more of Tom’s treasured things and a sum of money
collected at Tom’s “Celebration” to start up a savings account for
them. ELTHAM College of Education in Research are also actively
assisting Joseph’s family and the New Hope Foundation with
education support and mentoring.
The New Hope
Foundation has put in place the Tom McCabe Fund
for Refugee Youth which is to assist with education
and recreation needs. I urge readers to support this fund in
whatever way they can.
Carol
McCabe
(Mother of
Tom)
Assisting refugee youth with educational, recreational, sporting
and cultural needs.
The Tom McCabe Fund
for Refugee Youth assists youth who migrate to Australia under the
Humanitarian Program. These families have been forced to flee
their homeland due to war, famine and other long-term tragic
circumstances.
They embark on a
new journey and arrive in Australia with only a few possessions and
very little money. Adjusting to life in Australia isn't easy and
there are many difficulties and challenges they
experience.
The New Hope
Foundation, with many years of experience assisting refugees and
migrants integrate harmoniously into Victorian society, has
established the Tom McCabe Fund for Refugee Youth.
This fund assists
those families who are unable to support their children with
educational, recreational, sporting or cultural expenses.
Donations go towards buying items such as school uniforms,
text books or sporting and recreational needs like joining a local
soccer club.
Donations to the Tom McCabe Fund
may be made by cheque payable to the
'Tom McCabe
Fund'
C/o The New
Hope Foundation Inc
40 Grattan
Street, Prahran, 3181
or CLICK
on make a
donation
All Donations
of $2 or more to The New Hope Foundation Inc are Tax
Deductible
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