The Founder and CEO of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) in Victoria, Kon Karapanagiotidis OAM, announced on Thursday the organisation has been saved from closing its doors.
In February this year, Mr Karapanagiotidis publicly called for donations and support to keep the ASRC open after a decline in donations since July 2022.
In response to his call, Mr Karapanagiotidis shared on social media that over 22,500 people had donated, raising $5.1 million to save the organisation.
Mr Karapanagiotidis thanked the public for their support on Twitter.
“I honestly thought it wasn’t going to be long enough and we weren’t going to make it,” Mr Karapanagiotidis said.
You have saved the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre from closing its doors! pic.twitter.com/1dUX26GPdT
— Kon Karapanagiotidis (@Kon__K) March 1, 2023
“It wasn’t because I thought you stopped caring but because it’s such tough economic times.
“What came next is something I have never seen in 22 years. You rallied as this incredible community of compassion and hope and justice and love—and you came to our aid.”
Mr Karapanagiotidis plans to resize and implement sustainable strategies going forward for the ASRC.
Over the past 21 years, the ASRC have supported over 30,000 people seeking asylum and refugees without federal government funding, relying on the public’s support for funding.
