Kinbrace Community

Food preparation.

Kinbrace House provides supportive transitional housing for refugee claimants in Vancouver, BC. Kinbrace House is actually two houses, side by side, comprised of a number of separate suites, including several single occupancy rooms and larger suites for families. Refugee claimants typically live at Kinbrace for three months to a year as they begin to settle and find their way into life in Canada. Two families live in the houses on a permanent basis and make up Kinbrace's Core Community of welcome and hospitality.

"Refugee claimant" is a specific classification within Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Upon arrival in Canada refugee claimants make a request receive status as protected persons. They then go through a lengthy and difficult claim process in which they must support, document, and prove that they have a valid fear of persecution in their home countries. The time before the refugee hearing is one of great stress, emotional difficulty, and uncertainty about the future.

The Kinbrace Community is comprised of residents past and present, staff, Core Community, and "Friends of Kinbrace," who provide a relational network of Canadian residents rooted in the local community of East Vancouver. The community shares a weekly meal together, and also gathers for annual celebrations (including what we believe to be some of the most eclectic and rich Thanksgiving dinners ever prepared). Kinbrace Kids offers after-school tutoring and opportunities for the children of refugee claimants to take trips and have fun together. Whether it's camping, retreats, birthday parties, or trips up the mountain to go sledding for the first time, the Kinbrace Community gathers together to share life in all its variety.