![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/03\/refugees_28094.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
“They’ve worked incredibly hard,” Waters said.<\/p>\n
“We’re still in touch. It doesn’t just stop after 12 months.”<\/p>\n
She said small gestures could also make a major difference, including providing smartphones so families could stay connected with relatives overseas.<\/p>\n
“That was really important because they were homesick. They had to leave everything behind,” she said.<\/p>\n
More recently, the group supported a Syrian family who had spent 11 years displaced in Lebanon.<\/p>\n
While they initially settled in the Northern Rivers, they later moved to Melbourne in search of a larger cultural community.<\/p>\n
“It’s much harder in a regional area,” Waters said.<\/p>\n
“Access to things like mosques, language communities and public transport can be limited.”<\/p>\n
Despite the challenges, she said Murwillumbah had proven one of the most effective locations in the region for resettlement due to its lower cost of living and access to key services.<\/p>\n
“It’s also central to the region, which makes it easier for volunteers to support families,” she said.<\/p>\n
Waters said the work can be emotionally demanding but deeply rewarding.<\/p>\n
“You’re helping people who have been through a lot, and you’re supporting them through a huge transition,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It gives me a great feeling to see people acknowledging Harmony Week. It makes you feel like you’re in the right place among people who care about others and want to support those less fortunate.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A VOLUNTEER group in Murwillumbah is helping refugee families rebuild their lives from scratch, offering hands on support from the moment they arrive in Australia. As communities across the country marked Harmony Week from March 16 to 22, Tweed Welcomes Refugees continues its quiet work resettling displaced people in the Northern Rivers. The group, co […]<\/p>\n