The Cabrini sisters, who sponsor Cabrini College, have been rallying neighbors and partners at Cabrini Medical Center in New York City, located in lower Manhattan not far from the site of the World Trade Center.
There were numerous people disturbed by the harsh acts of violence, especially those who were directly involved. The sisters of Cabrini Hospital are coming together to help the victims and their families pull through this tragic event.
On the day of the crashes, the Cabrini Medical Center gave immediate assistance to those injured by the attack. They worked hard to aid the wounded and provide help wherever it was needed. They gathered food and resources, which were running low, and they provided medical assistance to those injured. The center’s ambulance and emergency medical technicians were immediately organized and rushed to the scene of the crashes.
Within the first four hours, the medical center handled about six thousand phone calls from people seeking information, volunteering to give blood and calling to offer assistance in any way possible.
The major task for Cabrini’s Medical Center was obvious: they needed to see to the needs of the community and serve those looking for loved ones lost in the disaster. There was little use of the emergency rooms in the hospital on the day of the attacks. Most of the victims lost their lives. The center figured, “If we can’t save the victims, we will help people locate lost friends and families,” says Robin Larkin, employee of the Cabrini Mission Corps.
The Cabrini Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation tried their best to follow the daily routine of the institution and not interrupt the residents’ lives, but with such an occurrence, abnormality was unavoidable. The facilities of the establishment were located in the middle of “the zone,” so they had a lot of confusion and disruption, which was caused by the attacks. “I’ll never forget-what looked like debris falling from sky, I soon realized that it was people falling out from windows or jumping, some holding hands as they met their fate,” an employee of the medical center stated to the “Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Weekly Update on September 21, 2001. This was an emotional and life altering moment for those who witnessed the actual event. The illustrations in their minds will never die.
When times got rough to maintain their daily routine, the Cabrini Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation called their good neighbor, St. Cabrini Nursing Home in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. The center was running low on bread and milk for their patients, so the nursing home aided to their troubled neighbors and went to the market and purchased as much bread and milk as the store could spare. As it turned out, the supermarkets of New York were sent word to donate and assist the communities in the relief effort. Everyone was doing their part to help one another in this dire time of urgency.
Cabrini Immigrant Services located in lower Manhattan is about 5-6 blocks from the WTC. It was here that many troubled souls wandered to in search of wet cloths to wash the filth from their bodies, water, and bathroom facilities. The CIS also provided a place for the victims to phone their families and receive counseling. The counseling was beneficial because the victims were able to cry and tell their horrific stories based on what they saw. Later and to this day, the CIS became a haven for police and rescue workers, providing them with homemade hot soup, sandwiches, and a place to rest.
As did the CIS, the Cabrini Medical Center also provided a haven for the community to visit. All of the centers affiliated with Cabrini did their best to provide guidance, support, and the basic necessities needed to survive during this nation’s time of crisis.
As the days have progressed, Cabrini Hospital is still providing services for those who require it. They face “Ground Zero” each and every day. They offer support to the survivors and mourning for the victims.
