👋 Hi, I’m Gabriela!
For over a year, I’ve had the privilege of volunteering with Kinbrace, an organization in Vancouver that welcomes and supports refugee claimants. This work has touched my heart deeply, and now I’m joining the Ride for Refuge 2025 with my team Ride and Shine to raise funds for this life-changing cause.
💛 How You Can Help
~ Donate: Every gift makes a difference. When you give, you’ll receive an email confirmation right away. If your gift is $20 or more, you’ll also receive a tax receipt.
👉 Donate here: https://ride.w-ith.me/RideAndShine
~ Join the team (optional!): Ride, walk, or volunteer alongside us! The more people on Ride and Shine, the greater the impact we can make together to raise funds and shine hope for refugee claimants through Kinbrace.
👉 Mark your calendar for October 4th, 2025!
~ Spread the word: Please share these links with your family and friends so together we can open the door of welcome for many more families.
🌍 Who are refugee claimants?
A refugee claimant is a person seeking refugee protection in Canada. They have fled their country, arrived here, and asked for protection because they fear persecution due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.
Refugee claimants are also called asylum seekers or asylum claimants. While their claim is being processed, they have legal, temporary resident status in Canada — but no certainty about their future.
This means they often arrive with very few resources, no guarantees, and a great deal of uncertainty. They must navigate housing, legal hearings, language barriers, and trauma all at once. And while they wait for their claim to be decided, they still need safety, belonging, and hope.
🏠 Why Kinbrace?
Since 1998, Kinbrace has walked alongside refugee claimants by providing:
- Housing – safe transitional homes
- Community – friendship and belonging
- Wellness – care for body, mind, and spirit
- Employment – help finding work and stability
- Refugee Protection – guidance through the legal process
- Beyond Refuge – support for long-term integration and hope
Their welcome transforms fear into hope and ensures that no one faces this journey alone.
🚴 Why I’m Riding
I feel so blessed to live in this beautiful country, surrounded by safety, opportunity, and community. Not everyone has that gift.
Life — and God — give us the chance to love others through our actions, and supporting refugees is one powerful way to do that.
That’s why I’m riding with Team Ride and Shine in the Ride for Refuge 2025: to raise funds so that refugee claimants arriving in Vancouver can find safety, belonging, and hope.
💡 Our team goal is to raise over $5,000 — and with your help, we can get there.
🙏 Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity and encouragement. Let’s ride, shine, and bring hope together.
#RideAndShine #Ride25 #RefugeesWelcome #TeamKinbrace