DONSTAN PILLAI
Outstanding Contribution to the community
Donstan is the quiet achiever. He knows what it is like to sleep on the floor in a Melbourne winter, wrapped only in the curtain from the window. So now he volunteers tirelessly, 7 days a week at Friends of Refugees to deliver free furniture and other essentials to new families.
For the past two years he has greeted new asylum seekers with a smile and made sure they had some food and a place to sleep. He co-founded the bike repair workshop – giving out more than 1500 free bikes to families. He also runs a garden maintenance program, arriving with mower and tools to assist asylum seekers keep their gardens in order.
He was awarded the highest recognition at Friends of Refugees celebration.
