Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA) is excited to announce the launch of The Isla Network – an online directory where anyone in Australia can share offers of support for refugee newcomers and local groups participating in the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP).  

CRSA receive many offers of support from the Australian public, whether it be refurbished laptops, accommodation or local driving lessons, and have been looking for the best way to share these items and opportunities with our network. This is where The Isla Network comes in.  

Why ‘The Isla Network’?  

The network is named after Isla Patterson, the late daughter of Maggie and Daryl Patterson from Goulburn NSW who led one of CRSA’s formative community supporter groups in the CRISP.  

Isla, still in her teenage years, passed away unexpectedly after falling sick while on a family holiday in the UK. Maggie and Darryl were touched by the outpouring of community support they received from total strangers during this difficult time away from home. Much of the couple’s own strength comes from Isla who, even at such a young age, showed immense courage and resolve in her final moments. Maggie and Daryl shared that, just days before her passing, Isla had said to them that “If just one person will be blessed through my story, then my struggle has been worth it.” When they happened upon the CRISP, Maggie and Daryl saw the program as their opportunity to pay the generosity they’d received forward. 

It’s a story that encapsulates so much of what the CRISP is about – community stepping up to help when someone is in need.  

What can I post on The Isla Network? 

If you want to support the work of CRSA but don’t have the capacity to join a support group, The Isla Network is the perfect place to start. You can post items, jobs, opportunities, services or anything else you believe might help an arriving refugee family and local support group. 

Let your listing be your way of stepping forward, saying welcome and supporting others to rebuild their lives in safety here in Australia.