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.

Cabrini Immigrant Services (CIS), Dobbs Ferry, held a workshop entitled, “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.

Betsy 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.

It is no secret that everyone is dealing with elevated levels of stress. This workshop left everyone feeling empowered and ready to try the new strategies that they learned.

A special thank you to Betsy Suarez. We look forward to her next workshop.

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.

As a special thank you, Natalie prayed the Our Father in Guarani for everyone present. Nathalie speaks Spanish and Guarani, a common indigenous language of Paraguay.

It was such a beautiful afternoon. The residents thoroughly enjoyed the performance. They did not want the show to end.