Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

SPRING Brings Lots of Activities to CIS-NYC

May 1, 2024

On April 20th, CIS-NYC’s Social Services Program hosted a lunch for 21 of our families (31 adults and 21 children). The families enjoyed a delicious lunch and participated in group activities. Clients shared their immigration journeys, their proudest moments, and challenges in their lives. It was beautiful to see our community members connecting deeply, supporting one another, and enjoying each other’s company. They were sharing their joy at the opportunity to connect for days afterwards in our group chats! Thank you to our wonderful Social Services staff for organizing this event: Sr. Yolanda Flores, MSC, Yaniris Ortiz, Tiburcio Segoviano, Laylani Rosario and Ivonne Moreno-Rodriguez.

On April 23rd, CIS-NYC hosted a screening of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation’s short film, “Our Larger Community: Embracing New York’s New Immigrants,” which features one of our community members (and former staff member), Brenda. We were joined by staff, volunteers, partners, donors, and members of the local community who enjoyed some refreshments, viewed the film, and engaged in a panel discussion with some of our staff.

Thank you to Javier Ramirez-Baron, Dalilah Negrete, Yaniris Ortiz, and Amelia Scdoris for sharing about your work. And a big thank you to the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation staff for joining us to share about the film! You can view the film here: https://film.cabrinihealth.org/

CIS-NYC recently released our 2023 Annual Report, which outlines our work over the course of 2023 and features many beautiful client stories. You can view the report here: https://cis-nyc.org/annual-report-2023

Creative STARS at Cabrini Immigrant Services

April 11, 2024

Cabrini Immigrant Services (CIS), Dobbs Ferry, NY held a STARS (StoryTelling, Art, Reading and Socialization) Program for students in Elementary, Middle and High School. Our students were from Guatemala and Mexico. 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.

This program was extra special because the storyteller was one of our students who was trained in our Storyteller Training program. Thank you to the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation grant, which allows us to train college students to become storytellers. Today was Rocio Soria Morales’ first Storytelling Program!

The book that was used was, The Most Magnificent Thing, by Ashley Spires. After telling the story and having a discussion about the book, the students worked together to invent something out of simple materials. They used cardboard, pompoms, popsicle sticks, etc. to make something new. After collaborating, the students presented what they created together. Some of the items made were a special car that flew, a catapult and a maze that used pompoms to get to the holder on the bottom. The children were so proud of their creations. The students enjoyed a fun time together. In addition to the project they created, they were so grateful to receive a copy of the book.

Nutrition Program Advances Healthy Eating

April 11, 2024

On Thursday April 4th a group of 14 CIS-NYC community members graduated from our nutrition program, which was held in February and March. Participants were from many different countries, including Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, and Mexico, and they each completed nine nutrition workshops provided in partnership with the Cornell University Cooperative Extension.

Participants learned to read nutrition labels, how to teach their children to eat healthier, and how to be careful when washing fruits or vegetables, among many other valuable new skills. Each participant received a diploma, a MetroCard, and a gift from Cabrini and Cornell in gratitude for their participation and perseverance in the group.

All participants shared a pleasant moment at their graduation and prepared a healthy salad recipe.

Presenting the Facts on Domestic Violence

March 21, 2024

Cabrini Immigrant Services (CIS), Dobbs Ferry, NY, held a workshop on Domestic Abuse and Violence. Statistics in the United States show that nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner. In one year, there are more than 10 million women and men abused. We know how important it is to educate people to be aware of the signs of abuse and hopefully help to prevent some people from being abused.

Digna Merchan, MSW, a former social work intern at St. Cabrini Nursing Home and CIS in Dobbs Ferry, presented the workshop. She spoke about what domestic violence is, the different types of violence, the causes, the mental and physical effects on the person, etc. Rocio Soria Morales, a social work intern at CIS, spoke about the impact of domestic violence on children. She presented how witnessing domestic violence effects the child both physically and emotionally. It also has a great impact on their future.

In addition, everyone received a folder filled with information about places that assist domestic violence victims, hotlines to call, places that will assist with legal services, etc.

Justice for Immigrants Advocate in Albany NY

March 6, 2024

Last week, members of Justice for Immigrants at Cabrini Immigrant Services of NYC were engaged in advocacy efforts in Albany, supporting two campaigns.

On Monday, we joined forces with the Fund Excluded Workers Coalition to rally for the Unemployment Bridge Program. This initiative aims to extend unemployment benefits to marginalized workers such as undocumented individuals, formerly incarcerated individuals, and freelancers. Our involvement included participating in a press conference, lobbying, and sharing testimonies.

On Tuesday, several of our members lobbied for the Working Families Tax Credit. This proposed credit combines existing tax credits to ensure that families with the lowest incomes receive the most benefits. For instance, under the WFTC, a family of four could potentially receive up to $1600 per child, in relation to just $100 per child annually under existing tax credit benefits.

Earlier this month, we supported the launch of the WFTC calculator, a tool designed to help families estimate their potential benefits under the proposed legislation: https://www.nyic.org/our-work/campaigns/the-ny-working-families-tax-credit/

STARS of Kindness

March 6, 2024

Cabrini Immigrant Services (CIS), Dobbs Ferry, NY, held a STARS (StoryTelling, Art, Reading and Socialization) Program for children in Grades K-2. Dr. Wendy Mages, a professor at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY, was our storyteller. She told the story, The Magic of Friendship Snow by Andi Caan.

After the story was read, the children spoke about different ways of being kind to others and to themselves. Everyone felt that it was very important to be a friend, especially to someone who doesn’t have one. They also spoke about being kind to their parents and siblings. The children drew pictures on hearts and snowflakes. They showed the different ways that they are kind to others or how others are kind to them. The hearts and snowflakes were placed on a board that had a snowman with the words, “Snow Many Ways to Be Kind.”

We had children from China, the Caribbean, Guatemala, Mexico, and Pakistan. It was so beautiful to see the children all working together and sharing their stories. They were all shining examples of being kind to one another

Leadership Training for Advocacy

February 1, 2024

In recent months, Cabrini Immigrant Services-NYC (CIS-NYC’s) Justice for Immigrants Program (JFI) has been actively engaged in advocacy and community-building initiatives.

Six JFI members successfully completed a four-part leadership training program, where they worked to develop skills, such as sharing personal narratives for media engagement. Following the first workshop, our members went to a rally where three members were interviewed by local press and PBS on the topic of right-to-shelter laws.

The second workshop focused on government structures and legislative influence, ending with a trip to Albany for the New York Immigration Coalition’s member congress, where JFI members spoke with state senators and assembly members on issues like language access and housing vouchers. One of our members spoke at the press conference, giving her testimony on the importance of passing the Working Families Tax Credit.

This month JFI also took part in national advocacy, visiting Washington DC to support asylum laws with twelve of our members.
JFI members have shown their commitment to community involvement through their participation in membership meetings and workshops, including a writing workshop with Uptown Stories where members shared immigration stories with their children. Looking forward, JFI has plans for two visits to Albany this month to advocate for campaigns that are important to our membership. We are excited to share more of our experiences and photos!

CIS Hosts Parenting Workshop

January 31, 2024

Cabrini Immigrant Services (CIS), Dobbs Ferry, NY, offered a workshop for parents of toddlers. Betsy Suarez, LMHC, presented: “Effective Strategies: How to Get Your Children to Listen to You More Consistently.”

Our clients from CIS as well as some of the asylum seekers from neighboring towns joined us for the workshop. They discussed achievable goals when raising young children and different ways of achieving the goals. As a group, they discussed what worked with their child and what needed improvement. Betsy assured them to be patient with themselves. She reminded them that no one is an expert.

While the parents were attending the workshop, our social work intern kept the toddlers entertained with puzzles, coloring and different toys. It was very evident that toddlers have an enormous amount of energy!

A Very Busy December at CIS-NYC

December 13, 2023

A Very Busy December at CIS-NYC

On Friday, December 1st, we had a busy day at CIS-NYC. In the morning, we collaborated with volunteers at Kearney, (a global management consulting firm) to host a career development workshop for some of our Angel Fund Scholarship recipients and other young clients. The group learned about career planning, how to build a resume, and how to prepare for an interview. They were able to engage with and learn from and inspiring group of professionals from Kearney. Our students left motivated to pursue their dream careers!

On Friday, we also hosted a legal clinic in collaboration with Saint Michael’s Church in Brooklyn. At the clinic we were able to assist 17 individuals with applying for Temporary Protected Status, a program which allows migrants whose home countries are unsafe the right to live and work in the United States for a temporary, but extendable, period of time. In recent months, our legal team has been working hard to ensure all of our clients who are eligible for this status are able to apply.

On December 5th, members of Justice for Immigrants at CIS-NYC marched in solidarity to City Hall alongside various organizations advocating for New York’s Right to Shelter law. Our members shared their experiences and perspectives with a PBS reporter. It was a powerful display of unity and advocacy, and a collective voice demanding justice and shelter for all in our community. If you would like to join us in defending New York’s Right to Shelter policy, you can sign this petition: https://p2a.co/axh2luo CIS-NYC

On Saturday, December 9th we held the first session of our leadership development training, where Justice for Immigrants members did a deep dive into community organizing and storytelling. Participants delved into the art of crafting and sharing personal narratives, equipping themselves with powerful tools for advocacy. Together, we learned how to foster a community-driven approach to amplify voices and create meaningful change. The following week, participants put their learning into action as they mobilized for a moving action to advocate for the Unemployment Bridge Program. This legislation would create an unemployment benefit program for excluded workers, such as undocumented immigrants.

Lastly, on December 10th we had the opportunity to celebrate our wonderful Food Pantry volunteers with a festive volunteer appreciation lunch! Our Food Pantry would not be able to serve hundreds of families each week without the support of our volunteers.

International Children’s Day

November 29, 2023

International Children’s Day!

November 20th was International Children’s Day. St. Cabrini Nursing Home wanted to celebrate the day, so they invited the toddlers from Cabrini Immigrant Services (CIS) in Dobbs Ferry, NY, to join them in some entertainment. We enjoyed great music by Lou Patrick, a singer and entertainer. It didn’t take long for the toddlers to get into the music. There was so much dancing and clapping of hands. The Moms also enjoyed the dancing.

As part of the Toddler Literacy Program at CIS, the children made turkey handprints which were placed on a paper along with a Thanksgiving poem. The toddlers went to every resident at the party and gave them a copy of their handprint and poem as they wished them a Happy Thanksgiving. The residents left with tremendous smiles on their faces and the children left exhausted but thrilled to have such a fun afternoon.