Building an Intercultural Community of Support

The Multicultural Family Resource Society (MFRS) is designed by and for immigrant and refugee families and youth to address the unique challenges of families who walk in two cultures.

Our Vision

Immigrant and refugee families are empowered and strengthened by knowledge, skills and connections to achieve ultimate health and overall well being.

MFRS was founded in 2005 out of the aspirations of parents from numerous ethnocultural communities that identified the need for group programs to assist with integration in to Canadian culture which were culturally responsive and linguistically specific. 

From the early days until today, MFRS programs for parents and youth are participant driven wherein participants provide the foundation for the topics presented in groups versus using a prescribed curriculum.  

MFRS acknowledges the additional challenges newcomer families experience because of language barriers, isolation, underemployment, migration experience, mental health, poverty, and cultural adjustments.  Our programs provide facilitators who match the culture and language spoken, meet at times that are most convenient for participants, and when parents have activities, child programs are offered.  

MFRS started with 30 participants in 2005, and, in ten years with the support of funders such as the City of Edmonton Family and Community Support Services, Edmonton Community Foundation, and Edmonton Community Adult Learning Association, we have served over 20,000 immigrant and refugee families.

Given the majority of our participant base live at or below the poverty line, we also provide connections to community resources that help families meet their basic needs such as the Food Bank. At the same time, many of our families are extremely vulnerable to the changing Alberta economy and we also provide Emergency Support Funds to families in desperate need (i.e. rent to not get evicted, food, prescription medication, etc.)

MFRS is supported by an amazing community of committed volunteers with approximately 300 volunteers contributing over 20,000 hours annually through program delivery, special events and service on the Board of Directors.

Please visit our website for more details on our current programming.