Get to know RAFT

Who We Are

Refugees And Friends Together (RAFT) is a refugee resettlement group comprised of dedicated and caring local volunteers in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada.

Together we work to welcome some of the most vulnerable people in the world to Kamloops.

Our Mission Is To

Welcome and support refugees.
Facilitate newcomers' healthy adjustment to Canadian society.
Facilitate newcomers' independence in their new home communities.

History of RAFT

Late 1970's-1990 Kamloops United Church Resettlement committee
- Guatemala 1 family of 4
- Vietnam 2 families (6 people) with Mt. Paul United Church
1990-1996
- Vietnam 1 family of 3
- Croatia 1 family of 3
1997-2003 PLURA (Presbyterian, Lutheran, United, Unitarian, Roman Catholic, Anglican)
- Bosnia 1 family of 4
- Kosovo 8 families - 37 people
- Ethiopia 1 family of 8
- Democratic Republic of the Congo 1 extended family of 13
2004-2014 RAFT (Refugees And Friends Together)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo 1 student with Thompson Rivers University
- Columbia 1 family of 3
- Iraq 1 family of 5
2015-2024
- Iran 1 family of 2
- Syria 7 families (24 people)
- Liberia 1 extended family of 5
- Syria 1 family of 4