What Moves You?
On a rainy Saturday, 239 people walked or biked to support refugee claimants. Refugee claimants are individuals who, after experiencing displacement from their home country, arrive in Canada seeking protection. Upon arrival, many face homelessness. This is not the way it should be. We believe refugees should have a dignified and warm welcome, and the Ride for Refuge is helping create a better story.
The Ride for Refuge is Journey Home Community’s largest annual fundraiser. This year we had an audacious goal of $160,000. At the time of writing this we have raised 92% of our goal, and we expect to see donations continue to come in right until the end of October.
Inspired by God’s love, we are creating caring communities that offer refugee claimants housing, settlement support, and opportunities for connection.
There is no doubt that the funds raised are vital to the work of creating caring communities. Money raised in this year’s Ride is going towards a range of vital supports for newly arriving refugee claimants:
Providing transitional housing and emergency food security
Case-managed support including direct settlement services
Referrals to existing community resources
A caring community that shares welcome, love, and belonging
In a heartwarming display of resilience and unity, refugees and refugee claimants participated in the Ride this year. Some walked 5km and some volunteered. These courageous individuals, who have overcome incredible hardships and adversity in their pursuit of safety and a better life, demonstrated generosity and love. To witness past program participants form a team, raise money and joyfully walk alongside staff and volunteers, who have now become friends and family to each other, is an example of the caring community we are creating at Journey Home Community.
To host an event of this size requires more than just teams of walkers and cyclists. It takes a community of volunteers working together. This year, a wonderful team of Journey Home volunteers served alongside students from John Knox Christian School, Trinity Western University, and a group from Tenth Church’s community of newcomers. To all our volunteers this year, we say, Thank You!
Events like Ride for Refuge are important to us on so many levels. As a fundraiser, it brings in much needed resources allowing us to offer housing and support. And as an event, it provides opportunities for people to make meaningful connections as we rally around a common goal. By participating in the Ride, we’re standing in solidarity with people who have little or no voice and who often get left behind or ignored.
Mark your calendars for September 28, 2024 because we hope to see you as either a participant or a volunteer at next year’s Ride for Refuge!
—Kim Tran
