LETTER FROM OUR BOARD CHAIR

Dear Friends of CIS-NYC,

As we close the chapter on 2024, I am grateful and proud of CIS-NYC’s resilience, growth, and meaningful impact over the past year. As you'll read in the following pages, CIS-NYC continued to:

• Expand our legal and social service programming to better meet the diverse needs of our clients;

• Strengthen our advocacy efforts in pursuit of more just and humane immigration policies; and

• Foster a welcoming community space that honors both the everyday and extraordinary moments that make up a meaningful life.

A personal highlight for me this year was presenting Sr. Pietrina Raccuglia, MSC with our Heart of Cabrini Award at our 25th Anniversary Celebration in June. I reflected on my time as an intern at CIS-NYC in 2003 when I first witnessed Sr. Pietrina’s fierce and relentless compassion for immigrants and the belief that no child should be separated from their family. Her legacy continues to inspire our work today.

In a national climate that demands courage and conviction, we are committed to the following priorities in 2025:

• Responding rapidly to changes in immigration policy with community education, legal services, advocacy efforts, and emotional support to ensure our clients are supported in moments of fear and confusion;

• Continued development of our Legal Services team to take on more vulnerable cases and respond to the growing need for complex legal services; and

• Welcoming Cabrini Immigrant Services of Dobbs Ferry as a division of CIS-NYC and supporting their vital work in Westchester County.

Thank you to our clients, partners, funders, volunteers, board members, and staff. Your trust, dedication, and hard work power the mission of CIS-NYC and make this community stronger every day.

With gratitude,