An important message from MOSAIC related to COVID-19

Dear Friends and Supporters,
 
COVID-19 has become part of our every day language — just like that. It’s our new normal as the Government of BC continues to extend the province’s state of emergency, and the Government of Canada leads a push for economic relief.
 
We are beyond grateful to the amazing health-care workers, frontline workers, and all others doing their part helping to flatten the COVID-19 curve. Like you, we are heartbroken at the number of deaths of fellow Canadians, and the devastation in other countries.
 
So, we are doing our part, with a focus on being innovative, adaptive and responsive during these unprecedented times.
 
Our work has been recognized as essential by the Government of BC, related to supporting vulnerable populations and outreach to immigrants, refugees, and migrant workers, as well as translation and interpretation services.
 
I am proud of the hard work and responsiveness that has come from MOSAIC staff ensuring continued levels of service excellence and innovation in service delivery – a willingness to adapt and refine as needed.
 
Our staff’s health and well-being remain a priority, and we have made adjustments to enable people to work from home. Remote connections allowing team meetings have become the new norm.
 
Adapting and refining, we have ensured that our website is up-to-date with current access information even as sites stay closed during COVID-19. We are providing remote services to vulnerable groups including seniors, youth, and victims of violence online, by phone and email, and have added one-to-one services as needed in multiple languages. We have established a daily online peer support group for newcomers, webinars for English classes and refugee claimants, and are assisting newcomers to navigate through the new benefits proposed by the Government.
 
And there are many challenges we are helping people overcome. For example, when we are aware of newcomers who don’t have access to the internet, we are proactively calling them to make sure they understand what is happening, and how they can protect themselves and their communities. And, of course, trying to figure how families enroll their children in online learning portals when they don’t have access to the internet or other digital services.
 
So yes, we’re doing our part to help our clients, not only with their everyday, but with anxiety, depression and misinformation in the community.
 
That’s what we’re here for: Finding solutions. Staying connected. Providing services. Being creative and innovative.
 
That’s the MOSAIC Team. Because we know we are all #InItTogether.
 
Please feel free to continue to reach out, to follow us through our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) and email or call. As well, consider making a donation to help enable us to continue our work to help our most vulnerable clients through this time of uncertainty.
 
Respectfully,

Olga Stachova
CEO, MOSAIC

Dear friends,

The world keeps changing almost hourly it feels, and we at MOSAIC are doing our best to support our clients, stakeholders and staff in these unprecedented times.

We are in frequent contact with our funders to seek guidance, and are working closely with other organizations to share best practices and, as much as possible, take a uniform approach to this unique and fast changing situation due to COVID-19.

To support the provincial and federal governments’ mandates around social distancing, we have shut our offices to walk-in/public traffic, and have moved towards providing information and services online and by telephone.

Our classes, peer groups and conversation circles are suspended indefinitely. We have cancelled all our public forums and major events that would attract large gatherings including World TB Day, Family Centre Anniversary, and the Annual Job Fair. As well, we have cancelled all external programs and workshops that make use of MOSAIC space.

For now, our WorkBC spaces will provide limited in-person services. Our Settlement services and Interpretation & Translation services will continue by phone and email. As well, we have many language-specific resources and staff ready to help.

Details are being shared on our website to keep everyone informed as we do our best to continue providing services.

If you have questions, please go to our services page to contact the appropriate department. General inquiries can be directed to 604-254-9626 or info@mosaicbc.org. Please be patient as we may not be able to return calls right away.

The latest information and advice on COVID-19 in multiple languages is available through the BC Centre for Disease Control.

We are in this together, and together as a community, we will continue to support each other and work through these challenging times.

Please take good care of yourself and your family!

Olga Stachova
CEO, MOSAIC

We are all doing our part to help in the fight against COVID-19, and to ensure the well-being of our staff and clients.

For now, services will continue by phone or online only – effective 8 a.m. today, public/walk-in services at all MOSAIC offices are not available. 

There are a few exceptions until further notice:

• Our 5 WorkBC locations
• MOSAIC engage office – NB: classes for the March intensive cancelled

Limited openings

MOSAIC Translation services will remain open for pick-ups only on the following days:

• Tuesday, March 17: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
• Wednesday, March 18: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
• Thursday, March 19, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

MOSAIC Translation staff will still be providing services over the phone and processing translation requests submitted by email only until further notice. 

Effective immediately, walk-in services for Interpretation Services’ clients are suspended. Please contact us by phone (604-254-8022) or email (interpretationservices@mosaicbc.org) to book an interpreter or inquire about our services.

Cancelled for now

All classes, support groups and small meetings are cancelled.

Major MOSAIC events, forums and workshops are currently cancelled, including:

• Indigenous Peoples Awareness training in Vancouver March 19
• World TB Day Forum in Vancouver March 24

• Family Centre 10th Anniversary Open House in Burnaby April 15 
• Annual Job Fair at the Croatian Cultural Centre in Vancouver April 21

More information

We are committed to providing updates here and on our social media (Twitter and Facebook).

If you have questions, please go to our services page on this website to contact the appropriate department. General inquiries can be directed to 604 254 9626.

Settlement workers will continue serving newcomers via phone or online:

• Vancouver: 604-254-9626
• Burnaby: 604-438-8214
• Surrey: 778-591-9334

Language specific lines:

• Filipino/English: 778-321-5406 (Joy )
• Cantonese/Mandarin/English-seniors: 604-362-4318 (Daisy)
• Cantonese/Mandarin/English: 604-351-6198 (Eliza)
• Arabic/Kurdish/Russian/English: 604-781-6464 (Mustafa)
• Arabic/English: 604-318-6971 (Aida)
• Arabic/English/Spanish: 236-833-5407 (Fairuz)
• English/French/Kirundi/Kinyarwanda/Swahili: 236-688-8733 (Faustin)

March 16th

In these challenging and unprecedented times, we are taking precautionary measures to safeguard the well-being of our clients and staff, while making sure we are still able to provide and continue our services.

Effective immediately and until further notice, services will continue only by phone or online – public, walk-in services at all MOSAIC offices and spaces will not be available effective 8:00am, March 17th. Forums, workshops and classes are also suspended.

Current exceptions: Our 5 WorkBC locations, Interpretation & Translation Services, and MOSAIC engage offices will remain open for now until further notice.

If you have questions, please go to our Services and Resources drop-down menu on this website to contact the appropriate department. General inquiries can be directed to our main numbers at 604-254-9626 or info@mosaicbc.org. Please be patient as we may not be able to return your message right away.

As the situation is evolving rapidly, we are committed to providing regular updates here.

We appreciate your understanding. We don’t have all the answers, but like you and the rest of Canada, we are doing our part to safeguard our community, and take the appropriate and precautionary measures as mandated by the Federal and Provincial governments.

March 13th

The health and well-being of our staff, clients and stakeholders is extremely important to MOSAIC.

While the risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus remains low in BC, we have been closely following and monitoring BC health officials and public recommendations and guidelines, and are acting accordingly.

Out of an abundance of caution, MOSAIC has chosen to cancel all of our public events that would attract larger groups.

Regular gatherings like classes, support groups, and small meetings will continue for now with protocols in place.

Please call your MOSAIC contact if you’re not sure of your event or meeting status. We will also be updating this space as needed.

Rest assured, while our goal is to keep MOSAIC’s services and programs ongoing, the health and well-being of our staff, clients and stakeholders is guiding our decision making.

Here is some important information.

Cancellations/Postponements

Out of an abundance of caution, and as per the recommendations and guidance provided by B.C.’s Minister of Health and Provincial Medical Health Officer, effective immediately we are cancelling and/or postponing any public MOSAIC-led event that would attract 250 or more people.

Currently, this includes the:

• Migrant Workers’ Forum on March 15 at the Ladner Community Centre
• Family Centre 10th Anniversary Open House event on April 15
• MOSAIC’s Annual Job Fair on April 21 at the Croatian Cultural Centre

We are currently assessing the risk of smaller events and will update this space accordingly.

Smaller Group Gatherings/Classes

Regular gatherings like classes, support groups, and meet-ups will continue for now, with protocols in place.

Extra disinfection protocols are being implemented at all MOSAIC sites.

There will be posters outside our offices, and you may be asked by reception or staff if you have been out of country, or are feeling ill. This is out of an abundance of caution with everyone’s well-being in mind.

MOSAIC will continue to provide updates as things change, and appreciates your cooperation during these unprecedented times.

Please call your MOSAIC contact if you’re not sure of your event or meeting status. We will also be updating this space as needed.