The desire to give generously runs through the veins of our regional communities. Over the past year, as I’ve interviewed both newly arrived refugees and longtime residents from towns across Victoria, I’ve been heartened to witness the reciprocal relationship that exists between those who have recently fled their home countries, and those who have called Australia home their entire life.
In Mansfield, at the foothills of the Victorian Alps, there came stories of refugees sharing recipes from their homelands, teaching the locals how to cook, and volunteering at the Country Fire Authority and local theatre. The town banded around them in a swell of support, assisting with their literacy and numeracy skills, helping them source employment, and even teaching them how to line dance.
