Immigrant Social Services, Inc. (ISS) is a community-based non-profit organization dedicated to improving the conditions of underserved immigrants and children of immigrants in NYC Manhattan’s Lower East side and Chinatown. Through programs and services, we nurture and empower immigrant children/youth (ages 4-17), young adults (ages 18-26), seniors, and families to develop and restore their agency to strengthen the wellbeing of our community.

Founded in 1972 in response to the rapid influx of Chinese immigrant families in the neighborhood, ISS opened its doors to help these new immigrant families address the challenges of adapting to a new country; learning a new language; facing inadequate housing and limited employment opportunities; navigating vastly different social, governmental, and private systems.

ISS has diligently and proudly served multiple generations of immigrants in the community, and works extensively with immigrant children and their families, many of whom are from low-income limited English proficient and/or mono-lingual Chinese speaking households.

By partnering with parents/guardians, principals, teachers, and community stakeholders, while ensuring a staff team that reflects the lived experiences of the community we serve, ISS aims to create an environment that enhances children's protective factors against negative health, social, and educational behaviors while nurturing social skills, academic excellence, and civic responsibilities.

Immigrant Social Services

137 Henry Street,

New York, NY 10002

Immigrant Social Services, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 tax exempt organization (Federal tax identity number 13-2689273).