MOSAIC’s 2019 Annual General Meeting took place on September 25th at its headquarters at 5575 Boundary Road, Vancouver.
The 2018/2019 Annual Report was released and includes the following performance indicators:
- 10% increase in registered clients over the previous fiscal year
- 95% of staff take pride in how MOSAIC contributes to the community
- 93.3% of clients indicate that MOSAIC has supported their integration into Canadian society
In the previous fiscal year, there were 13,392 clients in funded programs, with over 4,500 people attending MOSAIC-hosted events. To learn more, please read the annual report.
New additions to the MOSAIC management team were announced including Sharon Butler, Director of Corporate Partnerships & Social Investment, and Frank Chay, Senior Manager of Business Technology & Operations. Both of these are new positions at the organization and reflect key priorities.
Dr. Mehran Kiai was honored and thanked for his 10 years of service on MOSAIC’s Board of Directors, where he served as Chairperson from 2014-2018. Other retiring members of the board are:Maia Tsurumi, Cheryl Nelms, Miliça Nauman, and Kanya Adam.
Keynote address
Sharmarke Dubow, Community and Refugee Advocate and City Councillor for the City of Victoria, delivered the keynote address (see video at right/below).
A former refugee from Somalia, Mr. Dubow has a passion for building equitable, inclusive and compassionate communities, and has been recognized for his unwavering commitment to serving refugee and immigrant populations.
Keynote highlights
Councillor Dubow shared his powerful story of leaving his war-torn country of Somalia for a better life in Canada. He spoke about how through his experience of being a new refugee, he could relate immensely with newcomers to Canada, and as a result has taken significant action to support newcomers in their transition to life in a new country.
Annual awards
The night was full of celebration as the board handed out MOSAIC’s annual awards. Congratulations are extended to:
- Rob Milne, 2018 Human Rights Award
- Krishnaveni Selvan & Mariam Abdikerim, Dr. Kes Chetty Education Award
- Rhoda Philip, Eyob G. Naizghi Scholarship Award
- Remedy’sRx Specialty Pharmacy, Employer Recognition Award
The MOSAIC Employer Recognition Award is presented to an employer for leadership and commitment in providing a workplace that supports the principles of multiculturalism and employment equity. Among other contributing factors, Remedy’sRx has been working with MOSAIC to address their hiring needs and is very open to hiring immigrants and newcomers.
MOSAIC is proud to annually present a Human Rights Award as an ongoing manifestation of our commitment to the values of cultural diversity. This award is presented to a person or organization that has made a significant contribution in the field of human rights and ethnic relations, and has not been already recognized.
Speaking after receiving his award, Mr. Milne shared:
“Over the course of the last few years I have been able to witness the arrival, the joy and the struggles that our families face and continue to face in adapting to a place that is foreign to them. I also know how much effort, expertise, and support that MOSAIC and others like our friend, Sarah Richardson, and community groups that have so graciously devoted their love and their time.”
For more information about these awards, including criteria, please click here.
