Citizenship and Immigration committee  For sure, based in B.C., obviously I know it from that perspective. Each province will have its own intricacies with doing it; however, the federal system is somewhat homogenous across the country. In fact, IRQR is in the process of requesting registered status from the CRA, which will enable it to get the funding.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It's interesting. As the Foundation of Hope, we are reached out to by people who are in need of assistance. It's amazing. When you don't have to go into a UNHCR camp and you don't have to go into an embassy or a consulate, these people on the Internet reach out very quickly to us, and we identify them with great ease.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  If I may, for the purposes of what you're studying today, it is fantastic that we have Rainbow Refugee here. We've done the work for you. When we do a private sponsorship, we're pretty sure that they're gay, or LGBT, or part of that umbrella. We've done the work. It's easy.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  A person can't come up to me if I'm a refugee and say, “Are you LGBT?” I'm sorry, it's not going to work. That's why the private sponsorship scheme that we're proposing that needs to be normalized is the best way for you to do it.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Chair, on behalf of the Foundation of Hope and our partner charities, we offer our heartfelt thanks for extending this opportunity to meet with the committee this summer and also for extending this committee into the summer. It shows the truly non-partisan support of this House on this critical issue.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Chair, in our first two years we've raised well in excess of $100,000 mainly through our flagship event, Strut, where we invite participants to walk a mile in shoes they normally wouldn't wear. After all, a mile in someone else's shoes is better than a lifetime in the closet.