A Message from Laila Sidhom, Founder and Executive Director

Dear Friend,

Care for Needy Copts was born from a deeply personal calling, one that remains as strong and unchanged today as the day it began. As you journey through our work, I invite you to open your heart, for what you will find here are living testimonies of God’s grace, stories of transformation that have touched the lives of those we serve, and in turn, have forever shaped our own.

I was born and raised in Egypt, where I built my early career in banking. In 1969, my husband, my son, and I made the life-changing decision to leave behind everything we knew, our beloved family, our home, and our work, and immigrate to the United States. We landed in New York, full of hope and determination. In time, my husband and I found our footing in the banking sector. We raised our family in New York, welcomed a daughter, and built a warm and blessed life, rooted in our faith and closely tied to our beloved Coptic church.

And yet, through all of those decades of building a new life in America, Egypt never left my heart.

I thought often of our families we had left behind and of the countless others needy families, who were struggling in ways we could only imagine: The elderly with no one to care for them. The widows and orphans with no one to turn to. The bright young student whose dreams of higher education remain just out of reach. The early marriage of young poor Coptic girls. The sick with no access to medicine. The challenged kids whose circumstances make them an easy target. A family in need of a roof over their heads. And the parents who are longing for nothing more than a small loan to start a project and provide a dignified life for their family.

Thinking of those Coptic families in need has always left me feeling we could and should do more. For decades, I carried that burden with me, even as life moved forward.

In 2007, at the age of 68, while still working in banking, I made another life-changing decision. I founded Care for Needy Copts. Two years later, I stepped away from corporate life not to rest, but to answer a calling that had been growing in my heart for a very long time.

I dedicated all of my time to serving as the executive director of Care for Needy Copts as a full-time volunteer.

It began modestly, as most acts of faith do. But the response from our Coptic community was immediate and deeply moving. Family, friends, fellow parishioners, and even strangers came forward with open hands and open hearts. People gave not only money, but their time, their prayers, and their passion for our people.

What started as one woman’s quiet conviction became a movement of collective love and service.

Decades later, Care for Needy Copts remains steadfast in its mission, serving the most vulnerable Copts across Egypt with food, medical aid, emergency relief, education, project loans, and safe and dignified housing. Yet beyond all of this, what we offer most deeply is the assurance that no one walks alone. That we see them. That God sees them.

I share all of this not to tell my story, but to tell our story because none of this would exist without the generosity of people like you.

I invite you to join us. Become a partner, sponsor a family, volunteer your time, or simply spread the word to someone whose heart may be ready to give. Every contribution, large or small, is a light in someone’s darkness.

Thank you, dear friend, and may God bless you and your family abundantly.

In His Service,

Laila Sidhom

Founder and Executive Director

Care for Needy Copts