Boost for Burwood as multicultural corps smashes appeal target
- deansimpson7
- Aug 22
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 22
BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE
A corps in Sydney’s Inner West has achieved an outstanding result in this year’s Red Shield Appeal.
Burwood Corps, led by Captains Rong Fu and Dillon Wu, is located in an area densely populated by international students and migrants. Since beginning at the corps in 2018, Rong and Dillon have built strong connections with local donors, partnering with the Burwood Chamber of Commerce in 2023.
For this year’s Red Shield Appeal, staff and volunteers at the corps managed to raise more than 2.5 times what they raised in 2024. In 2024, they raised an impressive $32,000. In 2025, they raised an outstanding $83,000.
At the time of the 2021 Census, almost 50 per cent of respondents from Burwood stated their ancestry was Chinese, compared with just 7.2 per cent of those surveyed across New South Wales. More than 80 per cent of Burwood residents also declared that both their parents were born overseas.
A major donor to Burwood’s RSA efforts this year was another officer who attends the corps, recognising the value of the community outreach programs on offer. Rong said seeing the corps’ involvement inspired the officer to support the cause with a significant donation.
“We do PLPs (Positive Lifestyle Programs), support the youth [and] young adults, [a] Christmas barbecue, a community meal and cafe, all these things,” Rong said. “She [felt] really moved by what we do and saw how busy we are and that we don’t have enough manpower.”
WATCH MORE: Red Shield Appeal funds raised locally are put straight back into local communities all across Australia. They are often a game-changer for many areas, helping corps to build healthy communities and create faith pathways. In this video, hear some powerful stories of the impact Red Shield Appeal funds have made in the past! Click here
Rong also credited God’s faithfulness for the funds, as she said it was the Lord moving people’s hearts to give.
Rong said the corps planned to use the funds to hire a Youth and Young Adult Community Engagement Worker to connect with the international students and youth and young adults in the local community, and extend the hours for the Hope Café program, which supports women in the local community through a Women’s Engagement Worker available onsite. She said the rest of the funds would go to other existing programs.
The Hope Cafe at Burwood will benefit from the extra Red Shield Appeal funds. Images: Supplied
Rong said for corps who were feeling stuck and unable to increase their donations, she said it was important to pray and faithfully serve, no matter what.
“I think for us, we just focus on what God is calling us to do,” she said. “We just need to be faithful to do what we can with the resources that we have.”
In addition to the other services mentioned, the Burwood Corps also offers English classes, a women’s hope group, a Chinese children’s Bible class, parenting activities, and Alpha courses.
The corps also collaborates with other organisations and the council to provide various programs to support disadvantaged communities.
