A simple act to show love and welcome to asylum seekers and refugees has taken off in Sydney, serving as a model that other churches can seek to replicate.

When Eternity first spoke with the founders of Simple Love, Coco Knight and Lucy Sharp in November last year, the idea was a small and simple one: encourage people in their respective churches—City Light Church in Balmain in Sydney’s inner west and south at St Aidan’s in Hurstville Grove) to donate a bag of groceries each for asylum seekers. Seven months later, the idea hasn’t lost its simplicity, but it has more than doubled its effectiveness by recruiting more churches to the cause.

“Since we began, Sydney churches have donated close to 2,000 bags of groceries,” said Lucy. In that time, 25 churches from across Sydney have been involved, collecting grocery donations from their communities and delivering to the Asylum Seeker Centre in Newtown. Media coverage about the project has sparked further interest, with another 23 churches lined up to collect groceries in the second half of 2014.

Schools are also seeking to be involved in the idea, working with churches in their communities. Five schools have signed up so far.

The Asylum Seeker Centre in Newtown and more recently the House of Welcome in Carramar act as the conduits between the churches of Simple Love and the asylum seekers and refugees they are seeking to help.

Every year, the Asylum Seeker Centre provides services to about 1,300 asylum seekers. The majority of their clients come from Iran, and there are also many from Egypt, Bangladesh, China and Pakistan. Approximately 50 per cent are homeless when they first arrive at the Centre and 70 per cent have been denied government support. Only 50 per cent have work rights. So finances are extremely tight.

Maura Corkery is the food distribution coordinator at the Asylum Seeker Centre and says the Simple Love project has now ensured the Centre can provide weekly food parcels to the asylum seekers who come to them. She says demand is increasing for food support in particular.

“Prior to Simple Love’s project we were receiving donations sporadically from community groups and individuals. It didn’t allow us to meet the ever-increasing need. Now, with Simple Love and its partners, we can rely on a continuous supply of grocery items.”

A Bible study group from Christ Church Gladesville being generous.

One of the key aspects of the Simple Love project is the direct relationship churches are developing with Asylum Seeker Centres themselves.

From Maura’s perspective it’s been an opportunity to meet a diverse range of Christians from churches all over Sydney, who are intent on making a difference to the lives of asylum seekers in their neighbourhoods.

As more and more churches get involved in the Simple Love project, Maura says she’s seen many individual Christians learning about the services the Asylum Seeker Centre provides and enquiring how they may be able to provide other types of support.

Lucy says they encourage supporters of the Simple Love project to look for more opportunities to serve outside the grocery donations.

“For example, the ASC serves hot lunches daily, and always need volunteers to help cook and serve these meals. Likewise, House of Welcome has expressed volunteer opportunities available in running sporting competitions and classes.  There are many ways for the people of Sydney to be involved with the centres, and by working alongside them we have been able to share these opportunities with others.”

It’s also provided a unique opportunity for local churches to reach out into their own communities and encourage other, non-church goers to help out.

“It is a great opportunity for churches to show their relevance,” says Lucy. “We have had churches pin up flyers at local shopping centres, or do letter box drops. They’re reminding the community that asylum seekers are just like you and I… it’s clear that many Sydneysiders, regardless of their church background are very keen to be involved and show compassion and care to asylum seekers in this city.”

While Simple Love is only operating in Sydney, Lucy says churches around Australia can adopt a similar model. And Refugee Week this week is a good time to start doing it.

“We believe that what has made Simple Love so effective and so widespread is both God’s provision and the simplicity of our model. We believe that God is working and stirring up a nation of compassion and love towards asylum seekers. We have also found it to be effective because as the name suggests, it is so simple to get involved. The model works for churches as well as families and individuals, it can scale as big or small as the church wants because every little bit truly helps. Those involved are able to donate at whatever capacity they can, and know that they are making a tangible difference in the lives of asylum seekers.”