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.
the parents who are journeying with their children.
“Tu Arma Secreta: Convirtiendo el Estres en una Fuerza Positiva.” (“Your Secret Weapon: Turning Stress into a Positive Force”). The workshop was presented by Betsy Suarez, a licensed mental health counselor.
spoke about how stress can lead to anxiety and how it can affect your mental health and other health issues. She explained how understanding and managing stress is essential to your well-being. Betsy shared how turning stress into a positive force can help you. She gave many therapeutic strategies to help create a more positive relationship with stress. She showed how reframing negative thoughts, journaling, walking, etc. can all help create a more positive attitude. Betsy stated that a positive outlook can transform stress from an obstacle into an opportunity.
Cabrini Immigrant Services – Dobbs Ferry (CIS-DF), NY, was so excited to share the talent of Nathalie Carolina Ortiz Cabrera, a professional ballerina, with the residents of St. Cabrini Nursing Home. Nathalie, a friend of Shirley Godoi, the Administrative Assistant at CIS-DF and her family, is visiting from Paraguay. She performed various ballets and some traditional Paraguayan folk dances. One amazing dance was the traditional ‘bottle dance.’ Nathalie danced with 2 bottles on top of her head. Everyone watched in amazement. She changed into different costumes; each one was more beautiful than the next. One costume was a white dress with a beautiful black shawl. This was the traditional Paraguayan dress.