Help Kristen raise money

Hello!

After taking 2023 off, I'm back on the running bandwagon. While I'm doing some half marathons later this fall, I thought what better time to ask for donations then my impending birthday. This year I've joined the UWO Society of Graduate Students Rainbow Runners!

From 2016-2022, generous friends, family members, and coworkers have helped me raise over $3,500 for charities such as The Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary, London Food Bank, Sick Kids Hospital, The 519 LGBTQ2S Service, Space, and Leadership Hub, and Indian Reservation School Survivors Society. The cause this year is very dear to my heart - the Rainbow Railroad, which you can learn about below:

Rainbow Railroad is a global not-for-profit organization that helps at-risk LGBTQI+ people get to safety worldwide. Based in the United States and Canada, we’re an organization that helps LGBTQI+ people facing persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. In a time when there are more displaced people than ever, LGBTQI+ people are uniquely vulnerable due to systemic, state-enabled homophobia and transphobia. These factors either displace them in their own country or prevent them from escaping harm. 

As a result of Rainbow Railroad, more LGBTQI+ individuals can access lives free from persecution, and ultimately, we envision a world where LGBTQI+ people can live lives of their choosing, free from persecution. 

Since our founding, we’ve helped over 13,000 LGBTQI+ individuals find safety through emergency relocation, crisis response, cash assistance, and other forms of assistance.