Hilde Schlosar - Executive Director
Birthplace: Bavaria, Germany
How long with CVIMS: 6.4 years
Main Duties: responsible for everything and everyone
Languages spoken: German is my 1st language but I no longer speak it well
Hobbies: reading, outrigger paddling, my aquarium, my grandchildren

Nanette Longo - Executive Assistant
Birthplace: CFB, Moselle, France
How long with CVIMS: 10 years
Main Duties: assistant to Executive Director
Languages spoken: English, survival French
Hobbies: gardening, computer design, cooking, travel

Gail Bemrose - Reception/Client Services
Birthplace: Withington, Manchester, UK
How long with CVIMS: 3½ months
Main Duties:  Reception, directing clients to programs/services, admin support
Languages spoken:  English
Hobbies: hiking, skiing, reading non-fiction

Eunhee Lee - Bookkeeper
Birthplace: South Korea
How long with CVIMS: 2 years
Main Duties:  bookkeeping – billing, invoicing, payroll, maintaining financial records
Languages spoken:  Korean, English
Hobbies: talking with friends

Settlement Services are available in Nanaimo and Parksville. Services are intended to help newcomers adjust to daily life in Canada and to enable them to become independent and active members of the community. Our trained, settlement workers provide culturally sensitive assessments, orientation, information, referrals, adjustment support, service linking and bridging opportunities. Orientation topics include:

Additional services:

• Adaptation Crisis Counselling
• Child Care Subsidy Applications
• Celebrating Achievements
• NEW! Immigrant Seniors Program - In partnership with the Nanaimo Harbour City Seniors we connect immigrant seniors to local social and recreational activities, to make friends and gain a sense of belonging to the community. We also offer English language tutoring and field trips to local community services.

Cecilia Chong - Settlement Services Manager
Birthplace:  China
How long with CVIMS: 25 years as an employee, 5 years as a volunteer
Main Duties:  manage Settlement Services programs and staff, including the Host and Seniors' Programs
Languages Spoken: English, Cantonese & Mandarin Chinese
Hobbies: walk in parks, play and listen to Pipa music

Kyoung Rim Shin - Settlement Worker, Nanaimo
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea
How long with CVIMS: 2 years & 2 months
Main Duties: provide information and support services for newcomers; connect with community services to remove barriers to access for immigrants.
Languages spoken: Korean, English
Hobbies: taking a walk

Jennifer Bricker - Settlement Worker, Nanaimo & Parksville
Birthplace: Southhampton, Ontario
How long with CVIMS: 1½ years
Main Duties: provide information and support services for newcomers to Nanaimo and Parksville; connect with community services to remove barriers to access for immigrants.
Languages spoken: English
Hobbies: home renovations and word puzzles

Carmen Orantes - Immigrant Senior's Program Coordinator
Birthplace: El Salvador, Central America
How long with CVIMS: 5 months
Main Duties: support healthy, active lifestyles for immigrant seniors by helping them connect to activities within the community
Languages spoken: Spanish & English
Hobbies: cooking, swimming, and reading

Bridging opportunities in which newcomers can connect with their community opens the door to full and meaningful participation in the Canadian way of life.

Intercultural Connections (Adult Host and Youth Buddy programs) matches immigrant and refugee newcomer youth, adults, and families with volunteers from the community so they may better understand Canadian life and culture, learn about services in the community, practice English, and most importantly, make new friends.

Other bridging programs include:

• Multicultural Sports and Games Evenings
• Multicultural Women’s Group

Pat Simpson - Intercultural Connections Coordinator
Birthplace: Burnaby, BC
How long with CVIMS: 2 years
Main Duties: Recruit and match new immigrants and volunteer hosts, coordinate activities for program participants; coordinate the Multicultural Family Games and Youth Night (in other words have fun)
Languages Spoken: English (but I am trying to learn Spanish)
Hobbies: it’s all about my dogs, reading and making new friends

English Language Services for Adults (ELSA) Levels 1- 3 assist adult immigrant newcomers with their settlement and adaptation to Canadian society. These classes provide English instruction for daily living, with an overview on Canadian services, systems, life, and culture (e.g. accommodation, banking and financial services, etc.)

English Language Services for Adults (ELSA) Levels 4/5 are focused on the culture and language of the workplace. These English classes prepare immigrants to pursue their personal and employment goals and support their labour market participation. ELSA level 4/5 is followed by a 10 week Labour Market Focus Session which includes a computer course and a work practicum placement to introduce students to local employers.

Additional language supports include: Accent Reduction Training

Meena Ollek - ELSA Coordinator
Birthplace: Rajkot, Gujarath, India
How long with CVIMS: 3 years as an employee, 2 years as a volunteer
Main Duties: advise newcomers about ESL classes and daycare program, arrange assessments, provide support to instructors
Languages spoken: English, and basic Gujarathi, French, Spanish
Hobbies: music, reading, hiking, cross country skiing, canoeing, family, friends, great food and wine!!

Mary Peters - ELSA Instructor, Level 1
Birthplace: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Length of time with CVIMS: 15 years
Main Duties: teach English as a Second Language to adult newcomers to Canada with a focus on language, culture and community; provide Accent Reduction training
Languages spoken: English and Dutch (learned as a second language in my 30's)
Hobbies: reading, yoga, tai chi, folk music

Pearl Fredericksen - ELSA Instructor, Level 2
Birthplace: Vancouver, BC
How long with CVIMS: 1 year
Main Duties: teach English as a Second Language to adult newcomers to Canada with a focus on language, culture and community
Languages spoken: English, but I also speak a little Mandarin, and high school French
Hobbies: reading, going for long walks, especially alongside the ocean.

Maggie Wouterloot - ELSA Instructor, Level 3
Birthplace: Vancouver, BC
How long with CVIMS: 15 years
Main Duties: teach English as a Second Language to adult newcomers to Canada with a focus on language, culture and community
Languages spoken: English, French, survival Dutch & Spanish
Hobbies: hula hooping, reading the Travel Section

Dawn Fulton- ELSA Instructor, Level 4/5
Birthplace: Dawson City, Yukon
How long with CVIMS: 1 year
Main Duties: teach English as a Second Language to adult newcomers to Canada with a focus on language, culture and employment
Languages spoken: English
Hobbies: stained glass, reading, hiking, running, swimming, going to the gym, and cooking

Karen Whyte - ELSA Instructor, Level 4/5
Birthplace: Calgary, Alberta
How long with CVIMS: 2 years
Main Duties: teach English as a Second Language to adult newcomers to Canada with a focus on language, culture and employment
Languages spoken: English
Hobbies: reading, playing Texas Hold 'Em poker

• Child Minding for English Language Services for Adults
• Enhanced Childcare
• Parenting Classes

Sue Luoma - Children's Program Coordinator
Birthplace: Gawler South Australia
How long with CVIMS: 12 years
Main Duties: coordinate children’s programs which encourage the social, intellectual, physical and emotional growth of multi-ethnic pre-school aged children, including the Mother Goose and Parenting programs; supervise the day care and childcare staff
Languages spoken: English (although some Canadians don’t think it is)
Hobbies: reading, singing, volunteering

Vania Louise Zanetti - Children's Program Assistant
Birthplace: Port Alberni, BC
How long with CVIMS: 12 1/5 months
Main Duties: provide a supportive environment for pre-school aged children to encourage their physical, intellectual, social and emotional development
Languages spoken: English
Hobbies: reading, scrapbooking, camping and fishing... all of which I never get enough time to do on a regular basis!

Olena Nagorna-Kryvonos - Children’s Program Assistant
Birthplace: Kiev, Ukraine
How long with CVIMS: 3 years
Main Duties: provide a supportive environment for pre-school aged children to encourage their physical, intellectual, social and emotional development
Languages spoken: English, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish
Hobbies: Reading books, spending time with the kids

Employment is an important step in the settlement and integration of immigrants in Nanaimo. Statistics Canada says that new immigrants continue to have more difficulty in finding a job than Canadian-born residents. Whether a newcomer to Canada or an immigrant still experiencing challenges in finding and maintaining work, our employment programs and knowledgeable staff assist immigrants to overcome barriers and successfully gain employment.

• Full service Immigrant Employment Centre
• Career and Employment Counselling
• Job Mentoring Program
• Job Placement/Job Coach program
• Trade Talks, Workshops
• Skills Connect for Immigrants program
• BC Employment Program (BCEP)

Robert Dawkes - Employment Services Manager
Birthplace:  Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England
How long with CVIMS:  6 months
Main Duties:  manage and coordinate CVIMS employment programs to ensure they meet the employment needs of immigrant job seekers
Languages spoken: English
Hobbies:  reading historical murder mysteries, exploring this beautiful place where we live

Angelika Valchar - Employment Consultant
Birthplace: Povazska Bystrica, former Czechoslovakia, Slovak Republic since 1993
How long with CVIMS: 3.7 years
Main Duties: provide employment counseling, job search assistance and job mentoring for immigrant job seekers
Languages spoken: English, Slovak, Czech, read and write Russian
Hobbies: hiking, travelling, learning about other cultures and discovering Vancouver Island treasures with my two children and husband

Carolina Ponsford - Employment Consultant
Birthplace: Bogata, Colombia
How long with CVIMS: 2 years
Main Duties: provide employment counseling, workshops and Trade Talks for immigrant job seekers
Languages spoken: Spanish & English
Hobbies: tennis and reading Latin American Literature

Pedro Oliveira - Employment Consultant
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
How long with CVIMS: 3 months
Main Duties: provide employment counselling, job search assistance and job placement/coaching for immigrant job seekers
Languages Spoken: English, Portuguese
Hobbies: soccer, cycling, fish tank keeping

Katherine MacAleer - Employment Consultant
Birthplace: Sudbury Ontario
How long with CVIMS: 2 months
Main Duties: provide employment counseling, workshops and Trade Talks for immigrant job seekers
Languages spoken: English
Hobbies:  travel 

David Bemrose - Employment Advisor
Birthplace: Manchester, UK
Length of time with CVIMS: 2 months
Main Duties: welcome and register new clients, assist job seekers in Employment Centre, provide referrals to additional employment services
Languages Spoken: English
Hobbies: hiking, skiing and playing electric/acoustic guitar (although not all at the same time!)

The Diversity Program provides tools, training and leadership for a community where diversity is valued and welcomed. These include:

• Diversity Partnership: A Community in Action
• Multicultural Dialogues
• Our Schools, Our Community: Taking a Stand for Inclusion
• Securing the Next Generation: High School Curriculum
• Safe Harbour Program
• Anti-racism Response Training
• Diversity Training for Employers
• Multicultural Health Fair
• Welcoming Communities
• Diversity Champion Awards

Terre Flower – Diversity Program Manager
Birthplace: Fredericton New Brunswick
How long with CVIMS: 10 years
Main Duties: implementing diversity projects that support the creation of a Welcoming and Inclusive Community
Languages spoken: English
Hobbies: photography

Kanchan Mahara - Diversity Program Assistant
Birthplace: Kathmandu, Nepal
How long with CVIMS: 3 months
Main Duties: supporting and assisting with the initiatives of the Diversity Program
Language Spoken: English, Nepali, little bit of Hindi
Hobbies: yoga, watching movies

If you would like to support our programs and services, you can become a member or make a donation online via paypal. We are a registered charity and your tax deductible donation is important to us.