Case Support
and Care

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After the Door Opens: Case Support on the Gold Coast

In January 2024, volunteers went with a Syrian refugee family to buy school uniforms. Four days earlier they had visited the home for the first time. For a family newly settled in an unfamiliar country, a uniform is not simply clothing. It decides whether a child can walk into a classroom like everyone else.

2008 | Supporting a Family Through Life’s Uncertainty

On the late night of June 6, 2008, nearly two-year-old Claire suddenly passed away. Her parents were devastated. Her mother, Fang Feng Juan, sought help from Tzu Chi. Tzu Chi volunteers immediately went to the hospital to accompany the family, and continued to visit and care for them at home, supporting the couple as they faced the pain of losing their child.

After careful consideration, the couple decided to donate Claire’s body to a research institution, hoping to contribute to research into Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and turn their love for their child into a way to help others.

On June 16, Tzu Chi held a memorial service for Claire at its local centre. This experience of being supported and cared for also became the beginning of Feng Juan’s connection with Tzu Chi. She later made a vow to follow the Tzu Chi Bodhisattva path, and in 2011, she and her mother, Sister Wang Li Hua, both became volunteers of Tzu Chi.

During the 2011 Queensland floods, Feng Juan also actively participated in volunteer services, turning the sorrow in her life into a source of strength to help others.

May 2020 | Supporting a Family During the Pandemic

On May 20, 2020, Tzu Chi received a referral from a Catholic partner and learned that an asylum-seeking family they had been supporting for some time was facing financial difficulties due to the pandemic. The father’s working hours had been greatly reduced, the mother needed care for a leg injury, and the children’s work and studies had also been affected by the pandemic.

Tzu Chi volunteers and their Catholic partners visited the family together to understand their situation. They provided two eco-friendly blankets, AUD $1,000 in emergency living assistance, and Bamboo Bank savings, encouraging the family to turn their good thoughts into good deeds.
This care was not only about providing material assistance. It also brought different faith communities together to care for a vulnerable family, providing practical support and warmth during the pandemic.

Case support on the Gold Coast: it starts with a phone call

Since 2000, the Tzu Chi Gold Coast Office has provided case support services, guided by the principle of putting people first and embracing all with love, accompanying individuals and families in the local community over many years. Those we support include people facing financial hardship, family crises, physical or emotional challenges, or a sudden change in circumstances.

People reach us in several ways. Some write through the Tzu Chi website, some telephone directly, and others are referred by government and community organisations, including the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brisbane.

A home visit means sitting down and listening

Once volunteers understand a situation, they conduct home visits with respect and empathy. A visit is not an assessment. It is sitting down and hearing the whole story, then offering the emergency help, referrals and long-term companionship the family actually needs.

That takes different forms in different years. In 2007 it meant continuing visits to one household. In May 2020 it meant supporting an Islamic family in Nudgee through the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024 it meant home visits and school support for Syrian refugee families.

Twenty-six years of it and ongoing support

When individuals encounter difficulties, they often reach out through Tzu Chi’s website, by phone, or through referrals from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brisbane to connect with Tzu Chi volunteers. After gaining a comprehensive understanding of each case, volunteers conduct home visits with respect and empathy, offering tailored assistance based on actual needs, along with ongoing companionship and care.

Over the years, through continuous and heartfelt efforts, volunteers have brought warmth and hope to many families. In doing so, they have also allowed Tzu Chi’s humanistic values to take root and flourish deeply within the wider Australian community.