Mother Cabrini
Home to children and young adults with serious developmental disabilities and other extraordinary medical needs, Mother Cabrini provides extensive care that residents are not able to get at home or in the community. Thanks to the generosity of guests at Spring Knights, the St. John Committee has helped fund therapeutic supplies and programming for residents.
Bringing Joy
Due to their their medical conditions, residents don't have many opportunities to go out. Each year, the Therapeutic Recreation department and the Order of Malta bring the fun, excitement, and balloons galore of the Circus home to the residents of Mother Cabrini. Featuring a live band, Squeaky Clean, and a real clown from the Big Apple Circus, the department and volunteers from the Order play games with the kids such as musical chairs and hot potato.
Each month, the Area also hosts a sing-a-long, bringing volunteers to sing, dance, laugh, and entertain the disabled residents at the TCC's Mother Cabrini Specialty Hospital. Led by St. John Committee co-chair Luisa Majnoni d'Intignano di Poggio Baldovinetti Lee, the sing-a-long welcomes all volunteers who bring an open heart and a smile!
“What makes events like the Circus unique and beneficial is that it brings the residents, their families, staff, and volunteers together to have meaningful fun. Sensory stimulation is so important for MCH residents and at the event, it's done in a way where they get to be like just any other kid or young person — enjoying the circus with their family and loved ones.”
— Adriana Grecco
Director of Therapeutic Recreation & Volunteer Services
ArchCare at Mother Cabrini Hospital, Terence Cardinal Cooke HealthCare Center
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.