WHAT DOES COIS TINE DO?
It provides a range of pastoral support services for Asylum Seekers and Refugees esepcially those of African origin.  For convenience these services are classified under the headings of Social, Psychological and Spiritual.

Social
• Drop-in Centre: Open Mon-Thur, 10.30am–4pm.
•  Meeting space/rooms: Open weekdays, some evenings and weekends.
(In the past year 23 Groups used Cois Tine for their meetings.)
•  Advocacy: On behalf of individuals - help in dealing with officialdom, agencies etc.  
•  Drumming Circle: With a multicultural membership, meets weekly.
•  Choir: Multicultural membership, meets weekly.
•  Events/Parties/Trips: At various times and to mark various occasions.
•  Cork African Women’s Group: Meets at least once a month an more often when necessary.  
•  Computers/Internet Access: Available for immigrants during Drop-in Hours.  

All the above have elements of recreation, practical/emotional support and assist in the process of integration.  We view them as an integral part of our ministry to welcome the stranger.

Training Courses: These take place throughout the year and cover topics such as:
o  Computer skills: Group Courses and individual tuition.
o  Personal development.
o  Women’s Health.
o  Organisational Development.
o  Pastoral care: (for volunteers working with Immigrants).
o .Driving Theory.

Training aims to increase skills, to help immigrants integrate into the local community and to provide asylum seekers with constructive activities while they await decisions on their asylum applications.

Awareness Raising/Promoting Integration: Through the following means - 
o  Web Site: Highlighting justice issues affecting Immigrants.
o Networking/Committees/Steering Groups: Providing a Christian perspective with the aim of ....promoting inclusion, integration and the welcoming of the stranger.
o  Public/Church Events:  Providing input and presentations on issues affecting immigrants.

We believe that these activities are important to making the inclusion of immigrants in our community and Church a normal and accepted part of life.

Support and facilitation of Immigrant Community Groups: By providing -
o  Meeting facilities/rooms: Allowing new community groups to organise and function.
o  Extended Opening hours: Tue and Thur evenings and the 1st and 3rd Sunday each month.
o .Training:  Especially in organisational development.
o Office facilities for the New Communities Partnership: A national umbrella group for Immigrant ..Organisations.

The overall aim of these activities was to empower immigrant groups and to increase their capacity to organise and to engage in active citizenship.  In 2009 twenty-three groups used Cois Tine for their meetings and activities.

Psychological
o  Counselling: Three trained Counsellors provide a service at Cois Tine.
o  Alternative therapy: Massage is provided especially for immigrants who cannot engage with the Counselling process.due to language.difficulties.
o  One-to-one contact with Immigrants: Giving people time and individual attention has always been at the centre of Cois.Tine’s work. This takes place during pastoral outreach care work or in our premises.  Over 5,000 visits were made to our premises in 2009. Contact was made with many more people during outreach visitation of.Accommodation Centres, Homes and Hospitals.
o  Befriending: Cois Tine is open to maintaining contact with clients for as long as they need.

These services are all about welcoming and caring for individuals by providing them with the emotional support and information they need to cope with the burdens they have brought from their homelands, the stresses of the asylum system and the problems of settling into a new culture and place.

Spiritual
Cois Tine provides spiritual support for Catholic immigrants and is respectful of the religious traditions of non-Christian immigrants.  In 2009 Catholic immigrants were supported through:

•   Liturgies.
•   Home visitation/spiritual support.
•   Liaison with Parishes.
•   Spiritual Direction.
•   A Newsletter for Catholic Immigrants.