Mosaic Education Centre © 2024
The Mosaic Education Centre is a prominent non-profit organization, founded in 20xx, dedicated to assisting newcomers in Canada. Recognizing that transitioning to life in a new country can be both thrilling and challenging, this organization was established to help immigrants adapt to Canadian life and navigate essential systems, ensuring a smooth integration into society.
Our diverse team of settlement counselors offers multilingual support, including services in English, Turkish, and many other growing languages. We help immigrants and refugees tackle complex challenges related to their migration and integration journeys. Mosaic Education Centre’s programs are designed to empower clients through skill-building workshops, capacity development, and personalized one-on-one consultations.
Committed to the successful integration of newcomers, Mosaic Education Centre, with the support of both paid staff and volunteers, provides a range of comprehensive settlement services. These services address the immediate and fundamental needs of immigrants and refugees, helping them become familiar with key aspects of Canadian life, systems, and culture, while also providing guidance on a variety of settlement-related issues.
Our volunteers are divided into the following categories:
1- Housing Support: These volunteers assist refugees and newcomers in finding suitable housing. They have a solid understanding of rental laws and relevant regulations, and they take into account the financial limitations of immigrants. They ensure that housing is both affordable and meets essential criteria such as proximity to public transportation, schools, and overall safety. They also consider cultural compatibility between tenants and landlords.
2- Financial Guidance: Volunteers in this category help refugees and immigrants open bank accounts and provide financial advice in their native languages. They offer budgeting lessons, helping newcomers manage expenses like rent, food, utilities, and transportation, ensuring they make the most of their financial resources.
3- Interpretation Services: These volunteers provide language translation and interpretation services to newcomers, especially during their initial settlement phase. Their goal is to help refugees develop confidence in learning the local language over time, promoting self-sufficiency. They take into account factors like age and gender to ensure comfort. Interpreters are carefully screened before being assigned.
4- Shopping Assistance: These volunteers guide refugees in grocery shopping, helping them find familiar foods while introducing Canadian products and cooking practices. They provide practical training on how to use kitchen appliances, including fire safety measures, and offer advice on clothing purchases, including second-hand options and appropriate winter wear.
5- Transit Orientation: Volunteers assist refugees and immigrants in navigating the public transit system. They teach them how to find bus routes, plan trips efficiently, and use transportation effectively to reach their destinations.
6- Language Education: These volunteers liaise with language training providers and research available ESL classes in advance. They help refugees enroll in courses and assess the type of language instruction they require, whether for workplace communication or more general needs.
7- Employment Support: Employment volunteers connect newcomers with job services, teaching them how to search for work online, create resumes, and prepare for interviews. They provide both practical and emotional support and help those with professional qualifications explore re-credentialing and further education. Our volunteers have built strong relationships with employment service providers in Edmonton.
8- Childcare Assistance: These volunteers help refugees navigate the childcare system, finding affordable daycares that are conveniently located near their homes. They aim to alleviate stress by ensuring that parents can focus on their settlement process.
9- Healthcare Guidance: Healthcare volunteers assist newcomers in enrolling in provincial health insurance and navigating the Interim Federal Health Program (IFH). They identify resources for special equipment or care if needed and explain which medical services are not covered by insurance, advising newcomers to factor these costs into their budgets.
10- Education Support: Education volunteers assist in finding local schools and helping with the registration process. They also provide workshops explaining the Canadian education system to ensure children’s success. A homework club is available three times a week for academic support and mentoring.
11- Religious Support: Volunteers in this group seek to understand the religious practices of newcomers and help them find appropriate places of worship upon arrival.
12- Cultural Adaptation: These volunteers are knowledgeable about both the local cultures in Edmonton and the cultural backgrounds of the refugees. They plan activities and support systems to help newcomers adjust to Canadian cultural norms while respecting their own traditions.
13- Crisis and Trauma Support: Volunteers in this group are trained to understand mental health issues, crisis management, and trauma. They work closely with psychologists and can refer newcomers to professional help when necessary.
14- Recreational Activities: These volunteers have connections to affordable or free recreational facilities. They offer workshops on how newcomers can engage in community activities and lead active lifestyles.
15- Fundraising: Fundraising volunteers play a key role in raising money within the community. They manage financial records and ensure donors receive tax receipts.
16- Pre-arrival Preparation: These volunteers coordinate the preparation before the refugees’ arrival, reviewing settlement plans and ensuring all necessary steps are taken. They gather required forms (such as for social insurance, health insurance, and child benefits) and schedule orientation sessions to ensure a smooth transition for newcomers.
