Our History

M.O.S.A.I.C. (The Multilingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities) was formed by two local agencies already serving the Vancouver community in 1976.

MOSAIC started a weekly clinic to offer free legal advice for clients, with support from the Legal Aid Society. Today this program provides legal advice for low-income clients on immigration and poverty law.

The MOSAIC Immigrant Youth Job Corps Program was a job orientation and placement program funded by Canada Employment. Later, it included bilingual support for immigrant women.

MOSAIC established the Settlement Language Training Program for immigrant women. The program taught English, basic information on Canadian culture, and included child-minding services.

We moved from our one-room Commercial Drive office to a new location on Grant Street in Vancouver.

Until 1990, MOSAIC’s interpretation and translation services were volunteer-run. This year we re-launched them as a social enterprise to provide higher-level professional services.

The “Assaultive Husbands Program” dealt with domestic violence and helped men improve their relationships. These programs have grown to include counselling, support, and outreach for victims and their families.

In 1996, Refugees required a three-month residency in Canada before they could apply for financial help from the Government. MOSAIC led a 4-day “camp-in” at Victoria Park to advocate against this law. Four months later, the Government overturned this legislation.

This four-day gala festival celebrates the artistic works of immigrants and refugees in our community. The event features theatre, dance, and visual arts.

This program provided case management and services for vulnerable immigrants and refugees. It earned the 8th Soma Ganesen Spirit of Hope Award. Today it is a nationwide program known as the Moving Ahead Program.

To support a growing need, MOSAIC opened a new location on Buller Avenue in southeast Burnaby. Today it is one of 10 MOSAIC offices around Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

After a 2-year process, we achieved CARF Accreditation. This shows MOSAIC’s dedication to improving our client’s quality of life. We maintain this accreditation today.

MOSAIC launches the Vancouver Northeast WorkBC Centre. We were the only immigrant-serving organization to offer WorkBC employment programs.

MOSAIC planned to support 1000 refugees this year. Thanks to a pledge from the Canadian Government, we were able to support over 1,800 refugees. Over 500 identified as Syrian.

This year saw an increased number of Syrian refugees looking for support. We used our expertise to coordinate local efforts to get these newcomers the help and resources they needed.

MOSAIC moved into its new (and current) headquarters on Boundary Road in Vancouver in May. The space, donated by the City of Vancouver,  includes offices, meeting spaces, and a child-friendly family counselling area.

In July, we welcomed our new CEO, Olga Stachova. She took over from former Executive Director Eyob Naizghi, who worked at MOSAIC for over 25 years.

MOSAIC became the manager of four new WorkBC Centres: North Delta, Ladner, South Surrey-White Rock, and Surrey Cloverdale, in addition to Vancouver NorthEast

During the COVID-19 pandemic, MOSAIC quickly shifted to offering online and remote-delivered services. We’re proud of the resilience of our staff, volunteers, and clients in this transition.

MOSAIC celebrates its 45th anniversary serving immigrants and refugees.