Despite the challenges of fundraising during the global pandemic, RFOH is managing to bring funds in to award grants to our national network of community partners.

This is all thanks to the generous donors and dedicated volunteers working to make it possible.

Rainbow Refugee has just been awarded its first grant of 2021 to a Circle of Hope in Vancouver to support private sponsorship of a queer Iranian family.

This grant of $2500 will be used in resettlement efforts of these individuals once they arrive in Vancouver.

Rainbow Refugee and the Circle of Hope have been raising funds to build a settlement plan. This is a collaborative process that engages MOSAIC as the accredited sponsorship agreement holder, or SAH.

The SAH is required by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to accept private sponsorship applications from co-sponsors like Rainbow Refugee with its Circle of Hope.

MOSAIC is one of our community partners that not only assists Rainbow Refugee with sponsorship applications, but also provides valuable services for resettling LGBT+ newcomers.

If you are curious about privately sponsoring a queer refugee, get in touch with Rainbow Refugee. Consider forming a Circle of Hope with a group of private citizens that are dedicated to assisting with this cause.

There are many integrated components involved in the work. Grants from RFOH alleviate some of the fundraising burden for sponsorship groups whilst also supporting valuable programs like MOSAIC’s I Belong Project.

It all helps to ease the difficult process of relocation and resettlement once individuals arrive in Canada.

Please consider donating to the cause or becoming a volunteer (or both!)