Nationalities Service Center Of Philadelphia

Target demographics: NSC welcomes and empowers immigrants to thrive in our communities and pursue a just future.

Geographic areas served: Philadelphia

Programs: Immigrant and refugee transition & integration/ health, wellness & safety/ social services: nsc is the largest refugee resettling agency in the city, welcoming refugees from numerous countries including burma, bhutan, iraq and democratic republic of congo. From greeting refugee families at the airport to settling them into their communities, nsc's case managers work closely with their clients to create a platform for their integration into american society, helping them with a number of issues such as housing, transportation and child care. As an integral part of this program, nsc helps refugees attain economic self-sufficiency by placing them in sustainable livable jobs and engage the region's corporate community in their efforts to do so. Through initiatives such as the philadelphia refugee health collaborative, nsc has leveraged its partnerships in the health community to create an equitable system of refugee health care in the philadelphia region and improve health outcomes among philadelphia refugees. Nsc's newly established health department aims to create seamless access to health, mental health, treatment for victims of trauma, and critical incident services across the organization. Additionally, it educates nsc staff, volunteers and stakeholders on the culturally sensitive health issues affecting our clients.

language access/proficiency /education: nsc provides access to more than 150 languages through interpreters and translators and offers educational opportunities for clients to improve their language proficiency in a variety of esl ( english as a second language ) classes. Nsc holds translation and interpretation contracts with several city offices and completed more than 3600 projects in 2015. Annually, more than 1200 students of a variety of literacy levels attend classes at our center city location.

protecting & promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees/ legal: nsc's legal staff provides clients with legal protections and remedies on a range of issues from basic applications to representation in federal court. We serve clients regardless of their legal status or ability to pay and receive a variety of cases through our weekly walk-in consultations. Services include: family reunification; removal/deportation defense; domestic violence cases; lawful permanent residence ( green card) applications; citizenship and naturalization; and asylum applications.