Helping Hands: 

North Shore Multicultural Society

What: The North Shore Multicultural Society is a non-profit organization that has been helping new immigrants integrate into mainstream Canadian society since 1991.

"Our mandate is to help all new immigrants regardless of their religion, race, or background and eliminate social isolation for people who are new to the country and don't speak English", says Behshad Hastibakhsh, the society's community programs coordinator.

Through a variety of volunteer-based programs the society has been largely successful in getting immigrants involved in the community by helping them find their first jobs and social contacts in their new homes.

In particular, Hastibakhsh says, the society's Host program, which pairs immigrant families with establishes, English-speaking ones on the North Shore is one of the most popular.

"The Host program  gives Canadian and immigrant families the opportunity to learn about each others' cultures and languages and helps new immigrants find out what is going on in the community," says Hastibakhsh.

Canadian families are asked to make a six-month commitment to meeting with their host families for a few hours each week in an informal setting, such as going bowling, shopping, or visiting local attractions, to find out how they are doing, and them practice their English with native speakers.

The program started in 1995 by John Braithwaite, who is now a City of North Vancouver councillor.  

"We have had many success stories with this program," says Hastibakhsh.  "Most families end up staying in touch with each other for years and often the volunteer host families will come back to us after six months to get a new family to help."

The society also offers ESL courses for adults and children, job-search workshops to help immigrants produce a resume and cover letter for finding their job, and counselling services.

The society is always looking for new volunteer host families, receptionists, and ESL teachers.  Anyone interested in volunteering or finding out more about the society's services can contact them during regular business hours at 988-2931.