Margaret River Welcome will host a meal and movie night on Friday 18 August at Margaret River Heart.
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"The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is described as the delightful tale of a remarkable journey taken by an unremarkable man," said Suzanne Hicks, event organiser.
"It's based on the novel by Rachel Joyce and we'll watch the emotional, and entertaining, journey Harold goes on as he attempts to walk across England to see an old friend and, as it turns out, to resolve some long-held wounds. Incidentally, Harold walks 700 kms; the UNHCR estimates refugees cover 2 billion kilometres every year in the search for safety."
Margaret River Welcome is a volunteer Community Supporter Group under the Federal Government's Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP) program.
The fundraiser is part of their preparations to support the arrival of a refugee family to Margaret River in early 2024.
At the fundraiser, people can choose a meal and movie ticket for $40 or a movie-only option for $20.
"Saul Atkinson is catering for us with a vegetarian soup and bread, and 3 local wineries have generously provided a complimentary glass of wine with each meal for adults," said Mrs Hicks.
"We are grateful for the support from Cape Mentelle, McHenry Hohnen and Rosily Estate, and also Arts Margaret River who have partnered with our community group for the night."
Community supported settlement has been proven as a successful model in other countries, with Canada leading the way with private sponsorship since 1979.
Under the CRISP program, 1500 refugees will be settled around Australia over four years with help from trained CSGs such as Margaret River Welcome.
These people are already identified by UNHCR as urgent cases for resettlement and are surviving in refugee camps with their future in the hands of the international community.
"Our group is determined to help at least one family find hope after years of trauma and displacement" said Catherine River, the instigator of the Margaret River CSG.
"To start with, we will be providing a home and a future for one family beyond the confines and dangers of the refugee camps. We are fundraising to meet the defined budget and building a broad community support network - the support a family may need could relate to learning English, starting the children into school, finding employment, navigating medical needs and well-being supports, meeting new friends and retaining links to their culture.
"This will be key to the family settling in successfully."
Tickets to the fundraiser are available from Arts Margaret River.
For more info or to join the supporters list, email mrwelcomecsg@gmail.com. For more information on the CRISP settlement program, visit refugeesponsorship.org.au.
