We Are Here To Help
Who We Are
The Immigration Outreach Service Center (IOSC) grew out of a parish development campaign at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Baltimore. As St. Matthew prepared to celebrate its jubilee year, parishioners held House Meetings to develop a vision for the community and the church, and a plan to implement that vision. In the summer of 1999, some of those parishioners formed the Immigration Action Committee (IAC).
The IAC consisted mostly of foreign-born parishioner-volunteers. The committee held individual and house meetings, and training sessions from which potential leaders were identified. Leaders from St. Matthew Church and from two other congregations: Faith Presbyterian Church and the People’s Congregation at All Saints Lutheran Church were recruited to join the efforts.
In 2000, the leadership, approved and supported, the implementation of an immigration center that would become the Immigration Outreach Service Center. The Center eventually became a 501(c)3 and, in 2020, will celebrate 20 years of serving immigrants.
The Mission Of The IOSC
The Immigration Outreach Service Center, Inc. (IOSC) at St. Matthew Catholic Church is an independent non-profit organization 501(c)3 dedicated to serving immigrants. The Immigration Outreach Service Center was created in 2000, to serve the needs of Baltimore’s immigrants. Our mission is to partner with and empower immigrants within a safe secure environment, regardless of immigration status, race, ethnicity, sexual identity or religious affiliation, and to walk with them on their journey to rebuild their lives successfully.
In Support Of Our Mission:
- We provide a wide range of referral services. Our staff and trained volunteers listen with compassion and competency and guide our clients to the local service providers they need. These include legal services, health care services, housing information, assistance in finding educational and employment opportunities, case management, and food assistance.
- We provide ongoing supportive relationships with our clients as needed. Our staff and volunteers are available to follow up on services needed and to offer continued guidance and support.
- We provide tutoring to immigrant children in elementary, middle, and high school. Tutoring is offered on Saturday afternoons. Please call the office for registration information.
- We educate adults in computer literacy, financial literacy, and English for speakers of other languages.
- We provide thorough immigration consultations that enable our clients to understand the immigration options for themselves and their family members, learn the requirements to submit any immigration benefits they are eligible to apply for, and become aware of any obstacles they may encounter in their immigration case before submitting any applications.
- We offer seminars and updates on immigration issues. Please call the office for further information.
- We provide opportunities for immigrants to come together to learn and grow, to organize, and to share information with one another.
- We network with other community-based and religious organizations to improve the quality of life for immigrants living in the Baltimore area.
The Immigration Outreach Service Center, Inc. (IOSC) is a 501(c)3 based on the grounds of St. Matthew Catholic Church in Northeast Baltimore City. The organization is committed to serve immigrants: refugees, asylum seekers, and the undocumented regardless of status or ethnicity. The Center was established in response to the immigration needs of many of its parishioners. At St. Mathew Church, immigrants from over 45 countries are represented. Today, the center is an independent non-profit organization that has served immigrants from 123 countries.