Flu Vaccination Clinics
A flu shot can be the difference between making it through winter or ending up in the ER. For our homeless neighbors, it's often out of reach. Each fall, the Order of Malta NYC Area partners with Malteser International Americas to provide free flu vaccines at local soup kitchens and breadlines, giving out gift bags filled with winter essentials and gift cards. Thanks to the generosity of guests at Spring Knights, the St. John Committee has helped fund flu vaccination clinics and care packages.
Care for All
For people experiencing homelessness, a case of the flu can escalate quickly. This population carries a disproportionate burden of chronic health conditions that predispose them to severe complications from influenza, yet homeless individuals are vaccinated at less than half the rate of the general population. Barriers like lack of transportation, mistrust of the healthcare system, and the simple daily pressure of finding food or shelter routinely push preventive care like a flu shot out of reach. That's why the Order of Malta NYC Area brings the clinic to where people already are. These clinics are part of a broader, connected effort the NYC Area sustains for the city's homeless community through Malta Walks and our Mobile Ministry.
“In a city that doesn't stop, on a street teeming with traffic lays a body covered, cocooned against the cold. For the person at the center of that pile their needs are immediate, their future health is not even a second thought. Since before Covid, the Order of Malta has sent a team to administer flu vaccines to our guests on the St. Francis Breadline. What makes this effort so effective is not the vaccine itself but the manner in which the volunteers interact with our guests. People who are not welcome in clinics or pharmacies are suddenly the focus of medical attention for one morning. Being spoken to respectfully, asked questions about themselves and simply not ignored. Thank you Order of Malta, thank you for seeing the marginalized.”
— Patrick Regan
Executive Director
Franciscan Bread for the Poor, Inc
Your Call to Serve
Today, the Order of Malta cares for people in need in 120 countries through medical, social, and humanitarian works, including right here in New York City. The Order’s work is grounded in our Catholic belief that every person possesses inherent dignity.
In NYC, volunteers of all faiths, ages, and backgrounds work alongside over 180 Knights and Dames to honor this dignity through faith and hands-on service. We gather for monthly Mass and special liturgies, deepening our spiritual lives to witness God's love through our service. We bring meals and medical care to the homeless, joy to children with disabilities, and companionship to the elderly and isolated.
Volunteers play a critical role in our work. If you have felt the call to serve, the first step is joining the Affiliates, the official volunteer corps of the Order of Malta. Joining as an Affiliate is a wonderful way to learn more about the Order and meet our community, as well as to explore membership—becoming a Knight or Dame of the Order.