Founded in 2021, OCSI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and non-partisan organization which supports immigrants in Oberlin and Lorain County. We help them as they integrate into our communities and educate the public on their vital role locally, regionally, and nationally.
OCSI, with its particular focus on Oberlin and Lorain County, is one of several organizations in Northeast Ohio working to help our immigrant friends and neighbors. We are currently working with immigrants in our community to provide access to medical/dental care, language lessons, legal services, childcare support, school enrollment, and more.
Areas of Our Work
COMMUNITY ADVOCACY
We offer regular educational programs on immigration topics for our community at large, challenging common misunderstandings and promoting evidence-based discussions on the past and present role of immigrants in the United States.
These educational events are open to the public.
ACCESSING BASIC SERVICES
Orienting newcomers
The bulk of our work as an organization revolves around assisting immigrants living in Oberlin and Lorain County in their process of integrating into our community. This work takes many forms, but for us, it is often as simple as answering questions that new community members may have about life in the US. In addition to helping immigrants and asylum-seekers meet their basic material needs, our goal is to provide new neighbors with a friendly warm welcome to their chosen home.
Legal help
Many immigrants are eligible for remedies under US immigration law, but may not know how to get started in pursuing their options. We will try to connect immigrants to immigration lawyers and legal services.
Emergency needs
We also manage an emergency fund for community members in Oberlin and Lorain County struggling to secure basic necessities such as housing, groceries, and medical/dental care, in order to support our neighbors in times of crisis. Families who make a request of our emergency fund may or may not desire or need ongoing support after the crisis has passed.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING SUPPORT & EDUCATION ACCESS
We help connect immigrants to English language instructors and, as resources permit, provide in-person interpretation support for important appointments.
We also assist immigrant families in navigating the process of enrolling children in school, and provide financial support for educational opportunities outside of the school district, such as summer educational programs and pre-K.