West Welcome Wagon

29/10/2026

Next Steps: Cohort 2 celebrates a milestone!

Our Cohort 2 participants have completed their soft skills training with our wonderful partner, Victoria University Skills and Jobs Centre! 💙

The group enthusiastically practised their job interview skills, building confidence and preparing for the next step towards employment in Australia.

And, of course, there was time to enjoy some delicious food generously provided by Naz! A big thank you to Naz for adding something special to the day. 😊

Next up, participants will complete four weeks of work experience with West Welcome Wagon, where they can put their learning into practice, develop new skills and gain valuable experience in a workplace setting.

We’re proud of their commitment and enthusiasm and look forward to supporting them through this next stage of their employment journey.

A heartfelt thank you to Scanlon Foundation and RACV for funding the Next Steps program, and to Victoria University Skills and Jobs Centre for their valued partnership in helping create pathways to meaningful employment for refugees and people seeking asylum.

21/09/2026

Sharing some wonderful feedback from someone we recently helped.

17/09/2026

Story of Impact – Vidia’s Next Steps

When Vidia and her family arrived from Afghanistan in September 2023, they arrived with little more than hope and the courage to begin again.

Soon after arriving, Vidia, her mother, brother and sister came to West Welcome Wagon for support. None of the family spoke English, so Vidia opened a translation app on her phone and typed a message in Dari. She held it up for us to read:

"I am here to learn English, to drive and to work."

It was a simple sentence that captured everything Vidia hoped her new life in Australia could be. We helped the family choose the household essentials they needed to establish their home. It was an extremely hot day, and when we saw Vidia's mother struggling in the heat, we drove the family home. It was a small act of welcome at the beginning of their settlement journey.

Today, Vidia speaks fluent English, has her driver's licence, has completed further training and is actively looking for work. Despite her determination, she continues to hear the same response from employers: "You don't have Australian experience."

Vidia's story reflects the experience of many refugees and people seeking asylum. They have the motivation, skills and determination to work, they simply need the opportunity to gain experience, build confidence and connect with employers.

16/09/2026

A fond farewell to our online store 💙

After many wonderful years, we’ve made the difficult decision to close the West Welcome Wagon online store.

It hasn’t been an easy decision, but with sales declining and most of our remaining stock now sold, we feel it’s the right time to close this chapter.

Over the years, our store featured some very special products created or sourced to support West Welcome Wagon — including bespoke t-shirts, beautiful gift cards, aprons and merchandise designed for us by a local artist. We also partnered with Who Gives A Crap to offer toilet paper and tissues.

We are especially grateful to our wonderful local partners High Tees and Kenshi Candles, who helped make the store so special.

But above all, we want to say a huge thank you to the amazing volunteers who managed our online store over the years. 💙

From photographing and listing products, processing orders, to answering questions and keeping everything running behind the scenes, these volunteers gave their time, energy and creativity so generously. They have been absolutely incredible, and we simply couldn’t have done it without them.

To everyone who purchased from our store, bought our products as gifts, shared our store or supported our partnerships — thank you. Your support has helped us continue welcoming and supporting refugees and people seeking asylum across Melbourne’s west.

While our online store is closing, our work continues.

Thank you for being part of the journey. 💙

15/09/2026

🧡🧡 DONATION REQUEST 🧡🧡

Spring/Summer Clothing Needed! 👕☀️

Our clothing tubs are looking empty again, and we’re getting ready for the warmer months. We’d love your help to restock!

We’re especially looking for good quality clothing for:
👧 Girls
👦 Boys
👖 Men’s trousers and jeans

If you have clean, good quality Spring/Summer clothing your family no longer needs, please consider donating it to West Welcome Wagon. Every item helps provide practical support to people seeking asylum and refugees in Melbourne’s west.

To donate, please email our donations team at [email protected] with the details of your items, and they’ll guide you from there.

Thank you for helping us keep our tubs stocked and our clients supported. ❤️

14/09/2026

🚚 Volunteer Driver Needed – Thursdays
We’re looking for a volunteer driver to assist us every Thursday for 3 hours.

Working alongside our Storeperson, you’ll help load and unload the van and deliver essential household items directly to the homes of refugees and people seeking asylum across Melbourne’s west.

We have equipment to make loading and unloading safer and easier, including a hydraulic lift on our van, and you’ll be supported by our Storeperson.

We’re looking for someone who:

Has a current driver’s licence
Is confident driving a van
Is comfortable assisting with loading and unloading household goods
Is reliable and available every Thursday for 3 hours
Enjoys meeting people and being part of a friendly volunteer team
No previous experience with West Welcome Wagon is necessary. However you will be required to sign our Volunteer Agreement and provide a current Working With Children Check. We will provide an induction and support you along the way.

If you’re interested, please comment below or send an email to [email protected]. And if you know someone who might be a great fit, please tag them or share this post.

Come and help us deliver more than just furniture — help us deliver a welcome. 💙

13/09/2026

Thank you, Greater Western Water!

We’re incredibly grateful to Greater Western Water for funding three of our Community Reach Out Days in 2026 and helping us support refugees and people seeking asylum across Melbourne’s west.

Across events in Melton and Wyndham, we welcomed 128 families — more than 640 adults and children — and distributed approximately 7.5 tonnes of essential clothing and household goods.

At each event, families were able to choose the items they needed, creating a more dignified and empowering experience than simply receiving a parcel of goods.

But the benefits extend well beyond material support.

Our Reach Out Days have become places for families to reconnect, build friendships, share stories and find community. They also provide an important opportunity for local services to meet clients directly and help people access support.

We were particularly grateful to have the Greater Western Water Customer Care team at each event. Their team provided personalised assistance with water billing enquiries, concessions and hardship support.

At our June Reach Out Day, they helped one household resolve a water billing issue after the family had not received a bill for more than 12 months, resulting in a substantial financial concession.

The project also delivered an important environmental benefit, with 7.5 tonnes of donated goods diverted from landfill and given a second life in local households.

One client captured the spirit of these events perfectly when they told our team:

“Please come visit us at home and share a meal with us.”

That is the power of community — when practical support creates connection, trust and belonging.

Thank you, Greater Western Water, for investing in our community and helping us create more welcoming, inclusive and sustainable communities across Melbourne’s west. 💙

30/07/2026

💙 A heartfelt thank you to our friends at Warrandyte Uniting Church 💙

We were absolutely delighted to receive another incredible delivery from the wonderful community at Warrandyte Uniting Church.

This generous group of supporters has been standing alongside West Welcome Wagon for many years, and we are so grateful for their ongoing kindness, commitment and belief in our work supporting refugees and people seeking asylum.

Their latest delivery was not only incredibly generous, it was beautifully packed, carefully labelled and prepared with so much thought and care. This makes such a difference to our volunteers and warehouse team, helping us sort, store and distribute items efficiently to families when they need them most.

Every box and bag represents the generosity of community members who have taken the time to donate quality household items and essentials, knowing they will help someone create a home and feel welcomed in a new community.

To the Warrandyte Uniting Church community, thank you. We love having you as part of the West Welcome Wagon family and truly appreciate your ongoing support. 💙

Together, we are helping families rebuild their lives with dignity, connection and hope.

29/07/2026

💙 Our hearts are full, our clothing tubs are overflowing, and our community has once again shown what kindness looks like. 💙

When we put out an urgent call for winter clothing, we hoped our community would respond.

You did, and then some.

Just a week ago, we were worried about how we would prepare 38 clothing bundles for newly arrived refugee and asylum seeker families. Our shelves were almost empty, and demand was growing every day.

The response has been so overwhelming that we now have enough winter clothing to meet our immediate needs. At this stage, we kindly ask that you hold onto any further winter clothing donations while we work through the incredible generosity we've received.

Today, thanks to your incredible generosity, our warehouse is filled with warm jackets, coats, jumpers, pants and winter essentials. Because of you, families arriving with very few belongings will have the warmth they need to get through their first Melbourne winter.

Every donation is so much more than clothing. It provides warmth, comfort and dignity, and sends a powerful message to our newest neighbours: you are welcome here.

To everyone who donated, shared our appeal, encouraged friends and family to give, or dropped off clothing at our warehouse - thank you! Your kindness and generosity continue to inspire us every day.

We’ll be sure to let you know when we are ready to accept winter clothing donations again. In the meantime, thank you for standing with us and helping create a more welcoming community for everyone. 💙

Together, we're helping families not just survive winter, but feel at home. ❤️

29/07/2026

🧠🎉 Ready for a night of laughs, friendly competition and plenty of fun? 🎉🧠

Tickets are selling fast for the West Welcome Wagon Trivia Night, and we'd love you to join us for an unforgettable evening while supporting a wonderful cause.

Gather your family, friends or workmates and test your general knowledge with the fantastic team from Know Brainer Trivia. Whether you're a trivia champion or just in it for the laughs, it's guaranteed to be a great night!

✨ Great pub meal
🎤 Fun and interactive trivia
🎁 Fabulous raffle prizes and door prizes
❤️ All while supporting refugee and people seeking asylum as they establish a home and rebuild their lives in Melbourne's west.

Event Details
📅 Thursday 6 August
🕡 6.30 pm – 9.30 pm
📍 Junction Hotel, Newport
🎟️ $59 per person (plus booking fees)

Every ticket helps West Welcome Wagon continue providing essential household goods and support to refugee and asylum seeker families when they need it most.

Have fun. Win prizes. Change lives.

🎟️ Don't wait, tickets are selling quickly! Book your tickets today:

https://events.humanitix.com/west-welcome-wagon-trivia-night

https://facebook.com/events/s/trivia-night-fundraiser/1028657059659591/

Think you know it all? Join our trivia night for laughs, prizes and good food while supporting refugees and people seeking asylum.