Attendees will share drinks, food and dance to live music, while raising funds to bring LGBTQ refugees out of dangerous situations.
Nanaimo's Picnic en Blanc is back on Saturday, July 12, serving as Reaching Out Assisting Refugees' only in-person annual fundraiser.
"It's a fun social evening, people come year after year and they look forward to it all year long," said James Chamberlain, ROAR's vice-president. "We typically have all of our tickets sold about a month before the event."
Formed in 2016 as an off-shoot of Brechin United Church, ROAR raises funds to settle LGBTQ refugees in Nanaimo who come from around the world. Working with sponsorship groups, over the past decade, seven different individuals have been brought to Nanaimo, with $23-29,000 raised for each person.
"We're basically re-settling people from the most dangerous situations," Chamberlain said. "The sponsorship groups get a list of people and then they pick. They typically pick the people who are most in danger and who have enough English to be able to start to thrive here."
The sponsorship group takes on the role of helping the refugee settle, taking care of their social and emotional needs as well as education, housing and employment – with ROAR paying for their expenses for the first year.
Chamberlain said most of their refugees come from Africa and the Middle East. The most recent refugees, a couple, fled from Uganda to a refugee camp where they lived for three and a half years.
"They are thriving here. One had some previous work experience with the Red Cross and another organization in Uganda that was an LGBT organization that got shut down by the government, because Uganda is a very homophobic country…" Chamberlain said. "I got him into the health-care assistant program at VIU, and he has since completed that and works at the hospital now and a seniors facility in Nanaimo."
Picnic en Blanc usually raises around $7-8,000, with up to 200 attendees.
The event takes place July 12 from 5-9 p.m. on private property in the Rock City area. The dress code is white. Tickets can be purchased online at www.eventbrite.ca/e/roars-picnic-en-blanc-tickets-1332595171029.
It will include food, music, dancing, a table decorating contest and a 50/50 draw. A former refugee will give a short speech, discussing their journey.
"Basically we are helping people to have a new start in Nanaimo where they can be their authentic self and they don't have to fear being imprisoned, or persecuted or killed. We are giving them a chance for a new life, and when refugees come here they are surprised at their personal freedoms."
