Please help us help others!
In January, 2019 we sensed an urgency to prepare a place near the Auckland airport for an influx of Middle Eastern asylum seekers seeking freedom after risking their lives for freedom causes in their home lands. We did some house hunting in Mangere but nothing suited our requirements. We concluded that we will need to build a house for our specific needs.
In August, 2019 the trustees proceeded to form Safe Haven Housing Trust. They embarked on an adventure to raise $890,000 to purchase, and $30,000 to furnish a 5 double bedroom house with three bathrooms, and two living areas, and a large kitchen very close to Auckland International Airport for new arrivals at risk of serious harm. The sale fell through before the Trust could raise enough funds.
In November, 2019 the statistics related to the huge increase in asylum seekers arriving in New Zealand were released – up from 225 to 605 in one year. Our most generous donors were Chinese, Cambodian and Vietnamese churches. Their congregations are more than half full of former refugees and asylum seekers. They deeply appreciate the value of the service we are trying to provide.
On 28 January, 2020 we received our confirmation that Safe Haven Housing Trust was a legal entity with donee status and we can now receive tax deductible donations and a gift of a section of land.
From the first 228 donors’ we received $59,700. We went out canvassing family, friends and churches and community organizations to give a little. Our ‘Give a Little’ page that’s run by Spark NZ Ltd has been closed because of too little interest. We received $597.60 from Spark and they only charged us a reduced service fee of $20. Through our communications we developed a data-base of 1071 supporters and by the end of 2021 335 of these kind generous supporters had donated $350,000. This was enough to secure the Trust’s first house.
Since then the number of asylum seekers arriving NZ has risen to 2,365 for the year ended 31st March 2024. This is why we urgently need additional accommodation!
Our current strategy is to mobilize a fundraising representative in each City and town in NZ where we have contacts. If you would like to be that person in your town or city please contact us for a fundraising kit and a strategic plan. E: [email protected].
Our volunteer team
Our Volunteer team of multi-lingual, multi-cultural professional helpers have been doing a great work finding asylum seekers and assisting them to find accommodation and supporting them when needed for food and medical help etc. They care for the people living in the community until thee is room in our Safe Haven Housing facilities. If you would like to join this asylum seekers support team please send us an email with your bio-data and expression of interest.
Currently the Trust supports asylum seekers who live in the community and those deported back to their home country where they have been severely beaten, tortured and deprived of their freedoms. The additional houses we are planning to buy will alleviate some of these accommodation pressures.
Safe Haven Housing Trust Board also has the support of International Justice Advocates Limited www.ijal.co.nz and seeks out legal representation for asylum claims. Their website explains what they do to support asylum seekers.
Using Social Media to help: When you make a donation skite about it to your facebook friends. Tell then how much you gave and point them to the website where they can make a donation at www.asylumsafehouse.com
Encourage everyone in your network to give a donation that day of $20 or $50 and do the same as you. Skite about it to friends on your facebook list. In a relatively short time (3-4 months) fundraising activities and causes like ours can multiply to 300,000 donors. This will greatly help Safe Haven gain our goal of at least 4,000 small donors. This will help us show nationwide interest in the project so we can convince major funders that we are a cause worthy of their support.
Alternatively you could announce the campaign at your school, University, church youth group or sports club, or your Mosque and gather folks to put on a fundraising dinner and show our short video on the work we are doing.
Flyers about this project are readily available to assist you to spread the message about the project. Write to Safe Haven Housing Trust Board and we will send you the flyers by post.
Many small donations add up to a large amount. Tax deductible receipts are available for all donations but donors need to provide their contact details – use the contact details page on this website.
Thank you for your support and interest – The Safe Haven Housing Trust Board Trustees.
