The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in NSW has supported Syrian Refugees Crisis Appeal since September 2015 by providing immediate supplies to orphaned Syrian children, women and other refugees. This month hundreds of young adults from across NSW will gather donations for the Crisis Appeal as one of their service projects for the Church.
Young adults across NSW have yet another opportunity to give during the months of June and July. They will be collecting basic self-care and personal hygiene items which will be gathered and boxed at their community service activity at Liverpool, Sydney, on 23 July.
The Syrian Refugees Crisis Appeal is a not-for-profit charity organisation founded by Ms Fatima Al-Sibai, a Sydney-based psychologist who has provided trauma aid to orphaned Syrian refugees. The Crisis Appeal has partnered with other not-for-profit charity organisations including the Lebanese Muslim Association, Muslim Aid Australia and IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation. Throughout the year this partnership works with other local communities to collect donated goods to be shipped to Turkey.
In November 2015, three of the Latter-day Saints Stakes (diocese) in Sydney collected items for women’s hygiene packs and children’s school packs. These items reached Mersin Port, Turkey, in mid-December 2015. The Fairfield Stake (diocese) donated an additional twenty to thirty wheelchairs in December 2015.
Ms Al-Sibai addressed a congregation of Latter-day Saint young adults at a recent convention in Penrith, Sydney where She spoke candidly of her unsuccessful attempts to set up humanitarian aid before being referred to the Church through colleagues who knew about its humanitarian efforts. At the convention Ms Al-Sibai thanked the Church for its donation of $4400 worth of medical supplies at its 2015 Annual Community Leaders’ Reception. Ms Al-Sibai described the Latter-day Saint community as “warm”, “open hearted” and “kind natured” people.
Ms Al-Sibai sees an ongoing need to assist refugees and desires to do more in this regard. Local Church lader President Braden Murrin from Macarthur commented, "It was an honour for myself and my family to be part of a community that provides assistance and help refugees on the other side of the world."
Over the past 30 years, members of the church have donated $1.2 billion in humanitarian aid globally. These funds have been used to assist those in crisis across the world by providing food packets, clothes, blankets, emergency medical supplies, bedding, hygiene kits, wheelchairs, training for doctors, therapists and others. This has supported refugees in Syria and many other countries.