A safe haven starts here

ROAR is a registered Canadian charity and a community of volunteers bringing persecuted LGBTQI+ people to safety on Vancouver Island. Every dollar, every hour, every person who joins us makes it possible.

9

LGBTQI+ refugees brought to safety

4

Waiting to come to Nanaimo

426

Members of our community newsletter

2

Currently in their first year in Nanaimo

12

Sponsorship groups active since 2016

Upcoming Event

Two women in white shirts and glasses standing behind a table with a large white cake that has the ROAR logo and the words 'PICNIC EN BLANC' written on it. They are outdoors, surrounded by trees and boxes of food or supplies.

Join us on July 11th for a magical Picnic en Blanc 2026, celebrating the 10th anniversary of ROAR.

This year’s event will feature catering by Bee’s Knees, mocktails, live music, a DJ, and more!

Learn More

“I left Syria due to the war and lived in Lebanon illegally, working under the table and changing homes consistently. As a gay man, I was helpless and hopeless when I reached out to ROAR. They helped and brought me to Canada, and my life has changed completely.  I came with $100 in my pocket, and now I own a place, a car, and work as a manager for two dental clinics. I am thankful for life.”

- ROAR Sponsored Newcomer

Making a difference. One person at a time

Featured
Original Art, Created with Hope and Love
Original Art, Created with Hope and Love

This year's Picnic en Blanc will feature something special: a set of four original postcards created by an artist whose sponsorship application is currently being processed by one of ROAR's sponsorship groups.

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ROAR Is Now a Registered Canadian Charity
ROAR Is Now a Registered Canadian Charity

After nearly two years as an incorporated BC society, Reaching Out Assisting Refugees has reached a milestone we have been working toward since our earliest days: ROAR is now a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency.

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From Nanaimo to Parliament Hill: ROAR’s Voice Reaches Ottawa
From Nanaimo to Parliament Hill: ROAR’s Voice Reaches Ottawa

On March 9, 2026, something remarkable happened. Horst Backé, ROAR’s board chair, sat before the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Canadian Parliament alongside Steven Kabuye and Meddie Ssentongo — two people whose journeys to safety ROAR helped make possible.

Read more →

Learn more about ROAR’s work in our Stories of Impact section

There is a place for you in this work.

A group of five people standing in front of a white garage door, holding a large check made out to 'ROAR' for $10,900, dated March 2022, from Middle Island Women Who Care. They are smiling and wearing casual outdoor clothing.

Donate

Your tax-deductible donation helps cover housing, food, language classes, and everyday essentials for an LGBTQI+ refugee in their first year in Canada — giving them the foundation they need to find work and build an independent life.

Give Today
A group of volunteers who are helping to sponsor a refugee

Sponsor

Join or start a sponsorship group and commit to supporting one person's new life in Nanaimo for one year.

Sponsor
A person wrapped in a rainbow pride flag standing outdoors during sunset, with a sky filled with clouds.

Connect

Become a member, sign up for our monthly email, and/or follow us on social media to stay close to the work.

Connect

Supporters

Logo of The Rotary Club of Lantzville District 5020 with Rotary emblem and text
Logo of the Boy Scouts of America with a purple background.
Graphic of Mid-100 Women Who Care on Mid Island, featuring a map of the island in the background and text highlighting the group's name.
Logo featuring a pink and black butterfly above the words 'Rainbow Foundation of Hope' with 'Rainbow' in pink text on a pink background.
Logo of the Nanaimo Foundation with green stylized 'NF' and black text

Patricia Anne Lyon Memorial Fund