Parent Family Fundraiser
Donation protected
Help Bring Bobby's Family to Canada!
Hello everyone. I am inviting you to join in my mission to bring my good friend Robert (a.k.a., "Bobby") Parent home to Canada, along with his wife, Apinya, and their 8-year-old son, Kane.
The family is presently stranded because of Covid-19 – living in Thailand with loss of all income, no new job prospects, and so far, no clear way of leaving. Thailand has been devastated economically by loss of income from international tourism and exports, the forced shutdown of businesses, and state of emergency. The Bank of Thailand's recent economic predictions have been called the bleakest in Asia!
My family and I are ready to shelter them in our home and support them through their 14-day quarantine, and help them get back to work and firmly established in their new city. Let's help them travel to safety and security here in Victoria, BC (Canada) as soon as possible!!
The Backstory
Bobby has been one of my closest friends since we lived in the same communal house in Vancouver in our twenties. He was well known and well liked in our crowd, with a reputation as a character and a charmer – fun-loving, and sometimes a little mischievous.... He was and is also exceptionally supportive to his friends. He connects with new people effortlessly, too – often helping them out in some way.
So it seemed natural when he decided to leave his career in IT and began working at recovery houses and poverty-support organizations. He continued to build his new career in Thailand, where he moved to pursue his passion for Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing).
Life in Thailand
Once in Thailand, Bobby helped to found three rehab facilities for people recovering from addictions, where he worked as a program coordinator and manager. Through his diligent networking with local businesspeople to connect with his clients, Bobby soon became a very well-known and well-respected member of his new community.
It was there up north in Chiang Mai that he met his future wife, Apinya, a Thai massage therapist and fellow nature lover. They soon married and welcomed their son Kane (a.k.a., Little Dragon) into the world. The family has enjoyed a life in Chiang Mai ever since, while also spending as much time as possible out active in nature around their region.
Although the Parent family loves Thailand, unstable political and economic conditions in their region were making them feel increasingly insecure there even before Covid-19 hit. They decided they must leave and relocate to Canada – especially to protect the well being of their young son.
Since Covid hit, the need to leave Thailand has become much more urgent. Both Bobby and Apinya have lost the means to work because of the pandemic. Worse, they have been forced to spend all their savings on essentials like rent and food. And like thousands of other workers, neither have access to emergency support from the Thai government.
Understandably, friends and family in their community are in similar situations, and are therefore unable to offer financial support. And unfortunately, although Bobby is Canadian, while living abroad he can't access Canadian emergency supports such as the CERB or BC Emergency Benefit for Workers either.
The Exit Plan
The good news is that the Parent family is now free to leave Thailand for Canada! Kane has his Canadian passport and citizenship document, and Apinya is exempt from current Canadian Covid-19 travel restrictions. She is presently a Thai national only, but is eligible to enter Canada as a member of Bobby's immediate family, since he is a Canadian citizen.
Another bit of good fortune is that they will be able to stay isolated in part of my family's home during their quarantine and work on getting established in Victoria. And already, Bobby has begun networking with Vancouver Island professionals in his field, and with the local Thai community as well. So now that they've covered these logistical details for relocating, their last major hurdle is a financial one – that's where you can help!!
The Expenses - Always Transparent
One-way flights from Chiang Mai to Victoria are expected to cost approximately $3,000. Taxis, ferries, etc. to and from airports could cost several hundred more. Start-up costs will include three months of travel insurance for new B.C. residents, groceries, rental deposit on a new home, possible security deposits for utilities, and so on. These will likely soon add up to several thousand more dollars.
*****Please note that GoFundMe and their payment partners are not yet supported in Thailand, which means funds can't be sent directly to Bobby there. To receive funds in Canada, a beneficiary needs a Canadian bank account, phone number, and mailing address (matching Canadian-government-issued ID). Since Bobby can't meet these requirements, he has requested that donations be sent through my RBC/Royal Bank of Canada account, then transferred directly to him via Western Union Financial Services Company.
100% of donations will go to covering relocation and start-up costs for the Parents' new life in Victoria. All expenses will be carefully recorded, and the family's relocation progress will be reported in future updates.
Thank you very much for reading this message. Bobby's tenacity, integrity and generous spirit are really quite special. For many years now, he has devoted himself to supporting others. Now is a really fitting time for him to receive some generous support himself – from our community!
Supporting the Parent Family and Spreading the Word
Please HELP US as we work to bring the Parent family safely to Canada!!
1) GIVE whatever you can. No donation is too small!!
2) SHARE on social media.
3) EMAIL this page to your family + friends:
www.gofundme.com/f/parent-family-fundraiser
Thank you so very much!! Please stay tuned for updates!!
Hello everyone. I am inviting you to join in my mission to bring my good friend Robert (a.k.a., "Bobby") Parent home to Canada, along with his wife, Apinya, and their 8-year-old son, Kane.
The family is presently stranded because of Covid-19 – living in Thailand with loss of all income, no new job prospects, and so far, no clear way of leaving. Thailand has been devastated economically by loss of income from international tourism and exports, the forced shutdown of businesses, and state of emergency. The Bank of Thailand's recent economic predictions have been called the bleakest in Asia!
My family and I are ready to shelter them in our home and support them through their 14-day quarantine, and help them get back to work and firmly established in their new city. Let's help them travel to safety and security here in Victoria, BC (Canada) as soon as possible!!
The Backstory
Bobby has been one of my closest friends since we lived in the same communal house in Vancouver in our twenties. He was well known and well liked in our crowd, with a reputation as a character and a charmer – fun-loving, and sometimes a little mischievous.... He was and is also exceptionally supportive to his friends. He connects with new people effortlessly, too – often helping them out in some way.
So it seemed natural when he decided to leave his career in IT and began working at recovery houses and poverty-support organizations. He continued to build his new career in Thailand, where he moved to pursue his passion for Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing).
Life in Thailand
Once in Thailand, Bobby helped to found three rehab facilities for people recovering from addictions, where he worked as a program coordinator and manager. Through his diligent networking with local businesspeople to connect with his clients, Bobby soon became a very well-known and well-respected member of his new community.
It was there up north in Chiang Mai that he met his future wife, Apinya, a Thai massage therapist and fellow nature lover. They soon married and welcomed their son Kane (a.k.a., Little Dragon) into the world. The family has enjoyed a life in Chiang Mai ever since, while also spending as much time as possible out active in nature around their region.
Although the Parent family loves Thailand, unstable political and economic conditions in their region were making them feel increasingly insecure there even before Covid-19 hit. They decided they must leave and relocate to Canada – especially to protect the well being of their young son.
Since Covid hit, the need to leave Thailand has become much more urgent. Both Bobby and Apinya have lost the means to work because of the pandemic. Worse, they have been forced to spend all their savings on essentials like rent and food. And like thousands of other workers, neither have access to emergency support from the Thai government.
Understandably, friends and family in their community are in similar situations, and are therefore unable to offer financial support. And unfortunately, although Bobby is Canadian, while living abroad he can't access Canadian emergency supports such as the CERB or BC Emergency Benefit for Workers either.
The Exit Plan
The good news is that the Parent family is now free to leave Thailand for Canada! Kane has his Canadian passport and citizenship document, and Apinya is exempt from current Canadian Covid-19 travel restrictions. She is presently a Thai national only, but is eligible to enter Canada as a member of Bobby's immediate family, since he is a Canadian citizen.
Another bit of good fortune is that they will be able to stay isolated in part of my family's home during their quarantine and work on getting established in Victoria. And already, Bobby has begun networking with Vancouver Island professionals in his field, and with the local Thai community as well. So now that they've covered these logistical details for relocating, their last major hurdle is a financial one – that's where you can help!!
The Expenses - Always Transparent
One-way flights from Chiang Mai to Victoria are expected to cost approximately $3,000. Taxis, ferries, etc. to and from airports could cost several hundred more. Start-up costs will include three months of travel insurance for new B.C. residents, groceries, rental deposit on a new home, possible security deposits for utilities, and so on. These will likely soon add up to several thousand more dollars.
*****Please note that GoFundMe and their payment partners are not yet supported in Thailand, which means funds can't be sent directly to Bobby there. To receive funds in Canada, a beneficiary needs a Canadian bank account, phone number, and mailing address (matching Canadian-government-issued ID). Since Bobby can't meet these requirements, he has requested that donations be sent through my RBC/Royal Bank of Canada account, then transferred directly to him via Western Union Financial Services Company.
100% of donations will go to covering relocation and start-up costs for the Parents' new life in Victoria. All expenses will be carefully recorded, and the family's relocation progress will be reported in future updates.
Thank you very much for reading this message. Bobby's tenacity, integrity and generous spirit are really quite special. For many years now, he has devoted himself to supporting others. Now is a really fitting time for him to receive some generous support himself – from our community!
Supporting the Parent Family and Spreading the Word
Please HELP US as we work to bring the Parent family safely to Canada!!
1) GIVE whatever you can. No donation is too small!!
2) SHARE on social media.
3) EMAIL this page to your family + friends:
www.gofundme.com/f/parent-family-fundraiser
Thank you so very much!! Please stay tuned for updates!!
Organizer
Jennifer Menard
Organizer
Victoria, BC