Rainbow Connections
About the program
Our newest program connects newly arrived LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers with local LGBTQIA+ volunteers.
What we do
Each asylum seeker is paired with a volunteer to practice English and get oriented in New York.
Our impact
About 100 people took part in 2025. Friendships form, isolation eases, and newcomers settle in faster.
“Rainbow Connections isn't just a program; it's a lifeline for individuals like me, offering not just language practice, but a sense of community and belonging in a new home.”
Story
Not quite so alone
Timur, 22, left Russia after police told his graduating class they would be sent to occupied eastern Ukraine or into the police. Frank Carson, 83, was an AIDS buddy in the 1980s. QARAVAN’s Rainbow Connections program matched them to practice English together.