Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Bringing Christ's love to the world
During this time of giving thanks, Cabrini Immigrant Services -Dobbs Ferry, NY (CIS-DF), is thrilled to announce that we have a new US citizen. Dara Mersi Martinez passed her US Citizenship exam! She came to the United States in 2011 from Guatemala. Dara is filled with gratitude for all the help she received from her tutors at CIS-DF.
A special thank you to Peter Ricca, one of her tutors, who helped Dara learn the many questions needed to pass the test. Congratulations Dara!
Following the STARS program, several of our high school students came to CIS-DF to participate in a Giving Back Program. The students made 100 bags filled with toiletries and other items which will be given to teenagers whose families frequent The Pantry, which is located in Verplanck, NY. The Pantry provides groceries for residents in the Town of Cortlandt.
One student created the list of items for the bags. In addition to deodorant, lip balm, toothbrushes and toothpaste, etc., the teenagers will also be receiving socks, scrunchies, stress balls, lollipops, wristbands and keychains with inspirational sayings. We are sure that that these packets will brighten the holidays for these teenagers. A special thank you to our CIS-DF teenagers for taking time on their Veterans Day off from school to help others. 
Cabrini Immigrant Services – Dobbs Ferry (CIS-DF) held a STARS (StoryTelling, Art, Reading and Socialization) Program for students in Grades 3-5 on November 11th. In addition to being Veterans Day, it was also National Young Readers Day. Dr. Wendy Mages, a trained storyteller, told the story, The Empty Pot, by Demi. A great discussion took place following the story. The students spoke about the importance of having good character. Words such as honesty, compassion, responsibility, etc. were suggested as the ways in which we should act towards one another.
After the discussion, the students created “A Tree of Integrity.” On the trunk, branches and leaves of the tree, the words that were used during the discussion were written on painted leaves. The tree, which hangs in our classroom, is a reminder to always be people with integrity.
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An estimated 2.9 million New Yorkers, including 1 million children, did not receive their food benefits on November 1st. While partial SNAP payments have been ordered to resume, it’s still unclear when families will get their full benefits. In the meantime, community food pantries, like ours, across the city are trying filling the gap and feed our communities.
At Cabrini Immigrant Services-NYC (CIS-NYC), our pantry already serves around 400 families every Saturday morning, and we expect that number to grow in the weeks ahead. To meet this need, we’ve extended our distribution hours from 7–9AM to 7–10AM.
This week, our pantry was highlighted in a NYT article about how faith-based and community programs are stepping up to meet this moment, often stretching limited resources to continue serving families. ~ submitted by Amelia Scdoris, Justice for Immigrants Coordinator
You can read the article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/03/nyregion/church-pantries-food-aid.html?unlocked_article_code=1.yU8.SFKW.c50lgOcL8tjM&smid=url-share
As November approaches, we begin to think about our deceased family, friends and loved ones in a special way. On October 29th, some of the clients from Cabrini Immigrant Services, (CIS) Dobbs Ferry, NY, shared their celebration of Día de los Muertos, (the Day of the Dead), with the residents at St. Cabrini Nursing Home.
A beautiful altar was created with love and reverence in the lobby of the nursing home. Each element had great significance. In Mexico and Latin America, it is customary to build an altar to remember the dead. Our CIS clients are from Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru and Venezuela. Many of our clients cannot go to their countries to celebrate with their own families therefore they are appreciative to celebrate with the ‘Cabrini Family.’
Our clients prayed and spoke in Spanish and English about what Día de los Muertos means to them. Two beautiful songs were performed. One song, La Llorona, is about a mother who is crying for her children who drowned. The other, Remember Me, from the movie Coco, reminds us that if even if a person is no longer with us, they are always in our hearts.
A CIS client carrying the Book of the Dead led a procession with luminaria bags lighting the way. People shared the meaning of the items gracing the altar. It was an emotional time of remembering deceased family and friends by writing their names on cards and placing them on the altar to be remembered in our prayers.
A special thank you to Bonnie Burke, CEO/Nursing Home Administrator at St. Cabrini Nursing Home and Fr. Ron Galt, Vice President for Mission Integration and Pastoral Care, for inviting us to celebrate such a meaningful time at the nursing home. ~submitted by: Lorraine Campanelli, Director, CIS-DF
Cabrini Immigrant Services, Dobbs Ferry (CIS-DF), held a STARS (StoryTelling, Art, Reading and Socialization) for Kids Program for students in Grades Kindergarten-. The STARS program has helped our students by increasing their attention span, improving their imagination and creative thinking as well as building confidence in their verbal and artistic expression.
Dr. Wendy Mages, a trained storyteller, told the story, Thankful, by Eileen Spinelli. After listening to the story, the students discussed all that they were thankful for. What a wonderful reminder to know how blessed we all are! The students worked on two art projects. Everyone wrote on a piece of construction paper what they were thankful for. The papers were then linked together to create a ‘I Am Thankful For…” chain. The students were then given jars which they filled with words of thankfulness. Some of the words chosen were Mom, Dad, grandparents, sisters and brothers, school, friends, books, and so many other things. The students can add more papers to their jars as they discover new things they are thankful for.
The students were so happy to receive a copy of the book, Thankful. They were going to read the story at home and ask their family to share what they are thankful for.
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On Thursday, October 2nd, the walls at Cabrini Immigrant Services – Dobbs Ferry, NY (CIS-DF) were bursting with excitement and pride. A special celebration was taking place for four of our students who attend our Sharing Stories! Making Movies! Program. We invited the students’ parents, siblings and some other special guests to share in the celebration. Everyone knew what was going to happen except for the four students. We wanted them to be surprised.
This day was a culmination of many things. A few months ago, Anne Marie Santoro, the teacher of our Sharing Stories! Making Movies! Program, brought in a ‘critter’ and asked some of the students to write a story about the critter. The critter, which was made of wood, was created by Patti Kaufman, an author and artist. The children named the critter, Bella and then wrote a special story about her. Anne Marie shared the story with Ms. Kaufman who thought it was so wonderful that she decided to publish it in her new book, Adventures in Crittertown – Where Magic Happens. The book is filled with many stories about the different critters that Ms. Kaufman has created. But ‘Bella the Cow’ is the only story. written by children!
What an honor to have four of our students called authors. Ms. Kaufman was able to join the celebration via Zoom. It was wonderful to have her see the children’s faces when they received their own copy of the book. Each child was also able to speak with Ms. Kaufman and thank her for all she had done for them.
We were thrilled to receive a copy of the book for our office. The book sits on a shelf along with the critter which hangs in our classroom. We are looking forward to presenting Springhurst Elementary School, where the students attend school, with a copy of the book which they can proudly have in the school library.
A very special thank you to Ms. Santoro for all her hard work in the program. She not only teaches the program, but she was instrumental in making this day a reality!
The Cabrini Social Justice Ambassadors of the Cabrini University CAVS (Cabrini Alumni, Volunteers and Supporters) under the direction of Dr. Jerry Zurek, former Chair of the Communications Department, hosted a Zoom with Cabrini Immigrant Services (CIS) leaders Lorraine Campanelli, Director of Cabrini Immigrant Services, Dobbs Ferry, NY and Amelia Scdoris, Justice for Immigrants Coordinator, at Cabrini Immigrant Services-NYC.
With small-but-mighty staffs, Lorraine and Amelia shared the many services and outreaches that CIS-Dobbs Ferry, NY and CIS-NYC provide for immigrants ranging from reading programs for children, to nutrition classes, to food pantries, to field trips for families, to help with citizenship test preparation, to assistance with visas.
The Cabrini Immigrant Services staff members also provide educational programs on knowing your rights as well as active engagement in rallies and advocacy with legislators.
This was the sixth in a series of social justice webinars sponsored by the CAVS Social Justice Ambassadors.
As each child entered the room, they were greeted by resident, Sr. Wilda Asfour, who provided bags in which the children collected their bounty. All of the items were coordinated by category to make the selection process easy.
The collection was made possible by a school supplies drive that was held in the nursing home to benefit the Cabrini Kids at the Cabrini Immigrant Services Program. Throughout the month of August, residents, staff, family members, volunteers and other visitors donated various necessities to assist these children in preparing for a new school year. The response to the supplies drive was overwhelming and each child was able to take several trips around the table to collect items such as pens, pencils, binders, notebooks, crayons and so much more!
Thank you to all those who contributed to this Mission in Action event and best of luck to the Cabrini Kids as they embark on the new school year!
Knitting Group at Cabrini Immigrant Services (CIS) – Dobbs Ferry, NY continues to work on outreach projects that benefit others. The group crocheted sixty octopuses for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Octopus Project. The octopuses are given to premature babies to provide them with comfort. The babies hold on to the tentacles, which 
resemble an umbilical cord. This helps to calm the baby down. It also distracts them from pulling on their medical equipment. In addition to comfort and security, it has been found that the babies who hold the octopus experience better breathing, more regular heart rates and improved oxygen levels.
Before donating the octopuses to the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, NY, everyone prayed over the octopuses and asked God to bless and heal all the babies who will be receiving them. We also prayed for strength for
the parents who are journeying with their children.
We are so proud of our Knitting Group. They live the Cabrinian mission of bringing the love of God to others.