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About Us

Our Values

TVOS's core values emanate from a foundation of social justice, immigrant empowerment, racial solidarity, and client and community centeredness. Strengthening leadership among disenfranchised people is a high priority.

Background

Over the past two years, TVOS has created a nationally respected model of collaboration among public sector, private sector and nongovernmental organizations to address the complicated issues of human trafficking, sexual exploitation, labor exploitation, teen prostitution and gender based violence in Massachusetts. We coordinate legal advocacy, medical and mental health care, housing, and other forms of assistance for clients who have left or seek help to escape exploitive situations. We educate various community constituencies about the hidden nature of international and domestic human trafficking, exploitation and abuse and the signs to watch for in our own neighborhoods. We collaborate with policy makers to effect legislation that will make it possible for US-born and immigrant trafficking victims to be treated more humanely and have a better chance to recover from their trauma.

We sense a stirring in our culture that is creating new possibilities for recognizing and eradicating the horrors of human trafficking as they manifest internationally and in our own backyards. We operate under the fiscal sponsorship of Third Sector New England, a nonprofit organization that provides technical support to start ups.

For more information contact carol@eyeoftheday.org.

Staff & Consulting Team

Carol Gomez, Founder and Principle Director: Malaysian South Asian community organizer, educator and anti-violence advocate, Carol founded TVOS in 2003. She has worked in public health, healthcare, criminal justice fields and on community based research projects. Besides her work as a counselor for survivors of abuse and family violence, she offers training, education and consulting on the issues of violence prevention, safety planning, immigrant care, modern day slavery, violence against women, anti-oppression work, organizational development, community organizing and empowerment. Contact Carol at carol@eyeoftheday.org.

Lilly Marcelin, Associate Director: French and Haitian Creole speaking sexual assault and domestic violence counselor and educator. Lilly has experience in grassroots community organizing, events planning and fundraising. She has worked on numerous public health initiatives in her career, including with projects located in Haiti.

TVOS works with a carefully selected team of professional consultants from a variety of fields who are uniquely equipped to assist clients negotiate a path through complex governmental systems and social networks. Our clients are immigrants from all over the world as well as persons from the US who are trafficked and exploited domestically.
Our staff and consultants have origins in countries and cultures throughout Africa; Asia; Europe; South America; Latin America; and North America. We are many different colors, races, and religions. We speak at least 15 languages including: Amharic, Bahasa Indonesia, Bangla, English, French, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Japanese, Malay, Nepali, Oriya, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Tibetan and Urdu.

Edwin Argueta: El Salvadorian immigrant rights activist, expert in advocacy for documented and undocumented Spanish speakers in the region.

Carly Burton: Carly is a Policy Associate who joins us from Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. She offers us technical assistance and strategy in advocating for sound policy.

Yoko Harumi: Long time Japanese domestic violence and anti-trafficking activist in her home country, Yoko is skilled in domestic violence and immigrant advocacy as well as being in housing and public benefits remedies in Massachusetts.

Laurie Holmes: Laurie is a long time activist in Boston and the director of HarborCOV in Chelsea. Laurie has been a fierce champion of grassroots empowerment, women's leadership and advocate for women's sustainability through micro-enterprise and leadership. She is an uncommon woman who is never afraid to speak the truth and she is a white ally who has unfailingly both used and given up her privilege in solidarity with her sisters of color.

Nancy Kelly: Greater Boston Legal Services, Immigration Unit Co-Director, Nancy is a bilingual Spanish attorney and advocate who advises and represents our clients.

Marina Livshits: Marina is a bi-lingual clinical psychologist and educator with expertise in domestic violence and immigrant adjustment providing training and care both in the US and in her home country in the Former Soviet Union. Marina offers her services to the community at Jewish Family and Children's Services and at her practice.

Diego Low: Bilingual Portuguese community organizer at the Brazilian Immigrant Center, Diego is a seasoned advocate working with migrant workers and immigrants from Brazil and other countries.

Rick Mann: Rick offers probono services and expert legal representation to our clients in slavery through the law offices of Holland & Knight.

Jane Rocamora: Bi-lingual French attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services and supervisor for Harvard's Immigration & Refugee Clinic, Jane is a tireless advocate who advises and represents many of our clients.

Hema Sarangapani: Hema a staff attorney at the Immigration Unit of Greater Boston Legal Services, offers us resources and commitment to working on immigrant legal rights matters. Hema is bilingual Spanish.

Lourdes Villaruz: Filipina community activist providing ongoing care to Filipina women fleeing domestic violence, servile marriages and domestic worker trafficking in the greater Boston area.

International Advisors

Sriram Anathanarayanan: South Indian, Boston based, anti-violence, gender rights, sexual health educator and activist. Sriram comes to Boston from India where he worked with local Indian women on empowerment, peer supported, grassroots HIV and peace initiatives.

Roshan Bhandary: Nepalese, Hindi and Urdu speaking domestic violence counselor, trained in public health models, Roshan is a seasoned educator and cultural broker who works at the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence.

Brian Lariche

Melindah Sharma: Melindah is a passionate advocate specializing in building grassroots organizations dealing with issues of domestic violence, migration, education and children's safety. She founded PEACE (Prevention, Empowerment & Community Education) and co- founded SACAV (the South Asian Coalition against Violence). She is the recipeint of the "Creating a Voice" award for leadership and commitment to the South Asian American community. She served on the Gates Millennium Scholars Program (GMSP) to promote the academic success of high risk high school students. She has most recently served life science companies and non profits as a management consultant both in the US and in India.

Our Partners

 

 

 

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