Dear Friends/Family/Neighbors, 

This year I am again participating in the Ride for Refuge, raising money to support Kinbrace, an organization that provides housing, education and support for families and individuals seeking refugee protection in Canada. As a volunteer with this organization since 2017, and a member of the Board of Directors since 2021, I have seen first hand the challenges faced by people who have left everything behind in search of safety. Many seek asylum because of the risk of persecution due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. 

This organization holds special meaning to me personally for the following reasons:

1. Half of the world's refugees are children.  

2. I have seen the impact on families and individuals who have left everything behind. They seek the same things we do: safety, jobs, education for their children, a sense of belonging/community. 

3. My parents arrived in Canada in 1950 - they faced some of the same challenges as today's asylum seekers. 

I am asking for your assistance - please help us continue to bring hope, safety and freedom to the people we serve in our Kinbrace community. 

Please support us with a donation to Ride for Refuge.

With deepest gratitude! 
Maria