Cabrini Immigrant Services of NYC invites you to our annual fundraiser on Saturday, June 13th! Join us for evening uplifting the courage of immigrants in our community, celebrating those who walk alongside them, and reaffirming the roots of our mission. We will honor the many contributions of our “Heart of Cabrini” award recipients, Rev. Donald C. Baker and Brigid K. Sullivan (in loving memory), and enjoy live performances by the Ivalas Quartet and La Cumbiamba eNeYe! Tickets are now available at www.cis-nyc.org/celebrate-2026
Helpful Workshops and a Graduation!
Towards the end of February, on Sunday the 22nd, the Justice For Immigrants Program held a Bystander Training Workshop at the St. F. X. Cabrini Shrine in New York City. Neighborhood locals gathered to learn how to support and defend their immigrant neighbors by getting some basic Know Your Rights information, tips on identifying federal immigration officers, how to accurately record and report ICE presence, and much more. We are grateful to all those who came with a willingness to learn!
Graduation Day!
On Friday, March 13th, the graduation ceremony for the Cabrini Nutrition Workshop took place. Thirteen participants from various countries, including Honduras, Venezuela, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico, completed nine nutrition workshops in collaboration with Cornell University’s Cooperative Extension. Story continues on following page.
Throughout the program, participants learned to read food labels, teach their children to eat healthier, practice food safety, and take proper care when washing fruits and
vegetables. Each participant received a diploma and a gift from Cabrini and Cornell as a token of appreciation for their dedication and perseverance throughout the program.
The graduation was a joyful event where everyone shared a pleasant time together and 
prepared healthy recipes such as fruit salad, green salad, rice, and guacamole.
The nutrition group began on January 16, 2026, with an orientation session and concluded on March 13, 2026.
CIS-NYC Advocating in Multiple Dimensions
At Cabrini Immigrant Services of NYC, our staff, through the program Justice for Immigrants (JFI), has participated in a number of mobilizations in the city and in our state’s capital to show our support for protecting immigrant rights!
We joined the New York Immigration Coalition’s Annual Member Congress in Albany, lobbying our assembly members for the New York for All Act, which would prohibit state and local collusion with federal immigration enforcement; as well as the Access to Representation Act, which would establish a right to universal representation, meaning anyone at risk of deportation who cannot afford a lawyer will be provided one; and finally, demanding that the budget for immigration legal services be increased to at least $175 million.
We also paid our respects at the vigil for Alex Pretti, who was murdered by ICE officers in Minnesota, as well as attended the ICE Out of NYC rally on the designated nationwide shutdown against ICE.
At our office on Friday, January 30th, our Social Services team hosted a Nutrition Workshop for clients, where they learned how to incorporate more vegetables and fruits into their meals. The participants also completed ten minutes of exercise and prepared a healthy recipe—a salad. We hope to continue our work serving the immigrant community whether it be in our office, in the state capital, or in the streets!
Bringing JOY at Cabrini Immigrant Services of NYC
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On December 20th, Cabrini Immigrant Services of NYC held our annual gift distribution and Christmas celebration. We enjoyed delicious food, lively games, and abundant laughter with our beautiful community. The event helped ease financial and emotional stress for participating families while creating positive holiday memories for children. We were able to distribute toys, coats, and gift cards to 69 families (119 children) in need. Many of the parents in attendance expressed deep gratitude for the support in a year where purchasing gifts would have been particularly difficult.
We are deeply grateful to our generous donors, volunteers, and staff who made this event possible. Thank you for the opportunity to demonstrate the joy, strength, and unity of our community in these challenging times.~
Honoring Cabrini-Cornell Nutrition Workshop Grads
On Friday, December 5th, Cabrini Immigrant Services of NYC held a graduation ceremony for the latest cohort of our Nutrition Workshop. Over the past two months, sixteen participants from various countries, including El Salvador, Ecuador, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico, completed nine nutrition workshops in collaboration with Cornell University’s Cooperative Extension.
Throughout the program, participants learned to read food labels; teach their children to eat in healthier ways; to practice food safety and take proper care when washing fruits and vegetables.
Each participant received a diploma and a gift from Cabrini and Cornell as a token of appreciation for their dedication and perseverance throughout the program. The graduation was a joyful event where everyone shared a pleasant time together and prepared healthy recipes such as fruit salad, green salad, rice, and guacamole.
10th Annual NYC Chili Bowl!
Last weekend, the 10th Annual NYC Chili Bowl brought neighbors together for an afternoon of good food and community. All proceeds from the event supported the CIS-NYC Food Pantry, helping us continue to provide fresh, healthy food to families across Upper Manhattan.
We’re so grateful to everyone who made the event possible and to all who came out to support our work. Community efforts like this help ensure that our pantry can keep serving our neighbors during a time of rising food costs and reduced federal assistance.
CIS-NYC Trying Its Very Best to Serve Those in Need
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
A Fitting Tribute for a Departed Friend
We are deeply saddened over the loss of our friend, Brigid K. Sullivan. It has been two months since she passed, and to honor her life and care, we have dedicated our community room at CIS-NYC in her name: the Brigid K. Sullivan Community Room.
For thirteen years, Brigid gave her time, energy, and heart to our community. Now, this space will carry on her work, and we will continue to pour love into our community as she always did.
This week, we gathered to remember her. We shared a blessing and read a passage from the Book of Ecclesiastes: “He has made everything beautiful in its time… I know that nothing is better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.”
Brigid’s generosity and spirit will always be part of this space and part of all of us who had the privilege to know her.
Healthy Recipes – Healthy You!
Our Nutrition Group, hosted by the CIS-NYC Social Services team, carried out its first recipe session last Friday with 17 participants. During the session, participants prepared healthy salad wraps and learned practical ways to add more fruits and vegetables to their daily meals. This hands-on activity is part of our ongoing effort to promote healthy eating habits and increase access to nutritional education for immigrant families.
Meditation and Art Create Connections
Last week, four members of our Justice for Immigrants program, Silvia, Ciria, Antioneta, and Angeles led a workshop titled “Memoria y Archivo” – “Memory and Archive” at the Mexican Consulate. The session began with a guided meditation inviting participants to create a narrative about a place in their mind. Participants then worked on art projects that encouraged reflection on how we understand and tell the stories of where we come from.
As part of the workshop, we printed photos of our homes onto fabric pieces that will be sewn together, symbolizing how our homes, stories, and lives are connected. ~submitted by Amelia Scdoris, Justice for Immigration Coordinator, Cabrini Immigrant Services, NYC