Coptic Orthodox Charities (COC) is a community based agency established in 2001, with a mission to serve minority groups of all religions and ethnicities who are economically or physically disadvantaged by promoting and fostering health, strengthening families through education alleviating poverty and promoting self-sufficiency.The agency achieves it mission by providing social service to survival of torture victims and human trafficking victims. The Regional Office of the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (US CIS) refers clients to the agency to help them with their legal cases and social service aid. The agency’s staff of 11 employees, 7 members Board of Directors, and volunteers exemplify cultural competence and cultural capacity for those we serve, and have extensive cultural and linguistic expertise in languages and barriers to serve our victims. The agency providesdirect client servicesduring traditional hours, nights and weekends. The agency’s staff provides clients with social services, orientation services, transportation and language translation services to facilitate completing necessary forms to qualify for basic human service needs including housing, culture adjustment, job counseling and job placement. The Agency’s case managers’ expertise and education helps clients qualify for jobs and ensure their progress to become self-sufficient.
In October 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) was enacted. Prior to that, no comprehensive Federal law existed to protect victims of trafficking or to prosecute their traffickers. Many individuals do not believe that human trafficking exists in the U.S. Modern-day slavery is not recognized even when survivors are directly encountered. Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, harboring, or receipt of people for the purposes of slavery, forced labor (including bonded labor or debt bondage), and people trafficking has reached epidemic proportions over the past decade, with a global annual market of about $42.5 billion. COC mission to assist the Human Trafficking victims with filing of the T or U Visa to adjust their status, provide orientation services, culture adjustment, obtain work authorization, and job placement to assimilate into the community and prevent homelessness. These trafficking victims typically are recruited using coercion, deception, fraud, the abuse of power, or outright abduction. Threats, violence, and economic leverage such as debt bondage can often make victim consent to exploitation. Tragically, today's forms of exploitation includes forcing people into prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs. For children, exploitation may also include forced prostitution, and illicit international adoption. COC continues to be active in the community through various channels and collaborate with FBI agents, local Law Enforcement, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), and the State Attorney’s Office in assisting the human trafficking victims. COC provides assistance to the Human Trafficking Victims by assisting them to obtain the proper documentation to qualify for job placement, food, shelter, medical care and clothing. Orientation, culture adjustment services, job counseling and placement to ensures clients’ progress towards self-sufficiency and prevention of homelessness.
Methodology for Service Delivery is Efficient and Effective – As a matter of case management process COC has identified the need to continue the completion of the immigration cases along with applications for basic human service assistance, job counseling and placement.
The program provides 100 hours for each victim referred to COC. The Agency Collaboration with Others in terms of Meeting the ever needed Client’s Needs - COC continues to expand the agency’s collaborations and partnerships in an effort to meet all client’s needs, and prevent homelessness and the return to the abuser.
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