What is the Kindness Club Host Program?

Newcomers to Canada face many challenges in settling and adjusting, including:

• Language barriers
• Culture shock
• Fear of and worry for the future
• Social isolation
• Discrimination
• Unfamiliarity with available resources and where to go for help
• Learning Canadian systems and methods
• Lack of local work experience

The Kindness Club Host Program helps newcomers overcome some of these challenges by matching them with a local host who can share information, help build confidence, practice English and help them connect with the community.

Welcome newcomers to Canada!

Moving to a new country is exciting but scary. MOSAIC and its volunteer hosts aim to help create a welcoming community that Canadians can be proud of.

With your newcomer partner you can make a new friend. Many hosts remain friends with their newcomer partner for years! If your newcomer partner feels isolated, he or she will certainly appreciate having a friend like you. 

Learn about other cultures and countries. Meet interesting people from all over the world. Share a meal, exchange ideas and discover how similar people really are!

Help someone to settle and adjust. You can introduce your newcomer partner to social or recreational activities, go shopping, register a child for school or learn about the public transit system.

Learn about the settlement process. Through our host training sessions and as you help your newcomer partner settle in his or her new home, you will learn a lot about existing services for newcomers and how you can help them overcome settlement challenges.

Be a tour guide in your own city!

What is Required?

• Time and friendship

• No financial obligation

• Two to three hours a week spent with a newcomer for a total of 13 weeks

• Be a community guide

• Complete a Random Act of Kindness with your newcomer partner every month!

• Attend Coffee Gatherings

What is a Random Act of Kindness?

A Random Act of Kindness is an unexpected action that helps another person or group. It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small, as long as it brings newcomers in contact with other people in the community, outside of their personal circle of family and friends, and enables them to contribute back to the community.

How to Join:

You will need to attend an information session. Phone the Volunteer Program Co-ordinator, who can give you more details.

We welcome volunteers throughout the Lower Mainland.

MOSAIC is a multilingual, non-profit agency dedicated to assisting new immigrants and refugees to Canada with their settlement and integration needs through a variety of services and programs.

MOSAIC’s Kindness Club is here to help newcomers:

• Learn about Canadian society and services

• Develop social support networks

• Become active in the community

The Kindness Club is here to provide the local community with:

• An interesting volunteer opportunity

• A chance to learn about the needs and contributions of newcomers

• The community benefits from the kind actions of both hosts and newcomers.

The community benefits from the kind actions of both hosts and newcomers.
 

MOSAIC
1720 Grant St., 2^nd Floor • Vancouver, B.C. V5L 2Y7
Tel.: (604) 254-9626 • Fax: (604) 254-3932
E-mail: mosaic@mosaicbc.com

Click here for our Translation and Interpretation Services