The six friends were volunteers in a federal government initiative called the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Program (CRISP), which matches refugees who have no family ties in Australia with a group of five or more locals who help them navigate life here.
Refugees in the program are referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Nicole Schlesinger had seen an advertisement for the program at a time when she was feeling hopeless following the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, and the devastating attacks by Israel on Gaza.
It was in this climate that joining together with friends to help a refugee family felt like an optimistic thing to do.