The grants—totaling $600,000— have been awarded by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. They will fund University efforts to provide mental health services to young people, help women asylum seekers, and teach English language learners.

Fordham Provost Dennis Jacobs, Ph.D., said he’s grateful to the foundation for supporting the University’s work in the community.

“Fordham is deeply committed to applying its academic and programming expertise in partnership with organizations in the surrounding neighborhood to help address the most pressing needs within the Bronx community,” said Jacobs. “Through the generous support of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, Fordham is particularly focused on how it can assist those who have been most devastated by the interconnected crises of 2020.”

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation provides grants to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable New Yorkers, aiming to eliminate barriers to care. The foundation’s values reflect Fordham’s mission and those of the organization’s namesake, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, who was known during her lifetime as a staunch advocate for immigrants, children, and the poor. The foundation originated from the 2018 sale of Fidelis Care, a nonprofit health insurer run by the bishops of the Catholic dioceses of New York.

Virtual Mental Health Services

The first grant of $300,000 will support a virtual mental health program to be run by the Graduate School of Education called Clinical Mental Health Services in the Bronx Community. It will use telemental health services to reach at-risk students between the ages of 8 and 16. The program responds to the pandemic-related suspension of existing programs that Fordham delivered at schools and community organizations before the crisis began. Four cohorts of 25 students in need of help—whether from stress related to gun violence, racism, the pandemic, or other factors—will be assessed and receive therapy. The program will offer two 45-minute intensive sessions per week for the students. Anita Vazquez Batisti, Ph.D., associate dean for educational partnerships at GSE, helped facilitate the grant and GSE psychology professor Eric Chen, Ph.D., will direct the program.

Helping Women Asylum Seekers

A second grant of $150,000 will be used to help women asylum seekers in New York City gain access to much-needed mental health care. According to a 2020 report from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, more than 79 million people are displaced worldwide, more than half are under the age of 18, and more than 50% are women. In 2019, there were 46,000 asylum seekers in New York City alone, said Associate Professor Marciana Popescu, Ph.D., of Graduate School of Social Services (GSS). Popescu has extensively researched the problem and will be directing the program with GSS Professor Dana Alonzo, Ph.D., a specialist in mental health treatment. With increasingly restrictive policies pushing asylum seekers to go underground, few attempt to access mental health care services, said Popescu. The pandemic has only made the situation worse—for asylum seekers in general, and for women in particular. The project aims to identify the challenges of these women and connect them to services that are within their rights.

English as a Second Language

An additional $150,000 will go toward expanding the Institute of American Language and Culture’s Community English as a Second Language Program (CESL). That grant follows a $116,000 grant awarded by the foundation in 2019. The program provides free ESL instruction primarily to adults in the Bronx in partnership with churches and other community organizations. The CESL program began in 2018 with financial support from the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, which has annually renewed funding, scoring the program’s attendance, educational gains, and program management as “above standard.” The Cabrini grant will help the initiative continue to grow. CESL serves more than 300 students and hopes to serve at least 500 a year by 2023.  Institute director James Stabler-Havener will continue to direct the program with Jesús Aceves-Loza, who serves as the institute’s advisor for Latin America.  In spite of the pandemic this year, students continued learning and instructors continued to teach virtually via apps and cell phones. In the coming year, the group plans to build on existing partnerships with community organizations and the city to offer citizenship courses as well. The growing initiative will also provide internship opportunities to underrepresented students at the University.

Despite the many serious challenges New Yorkers faced during the early days of the pandemic, the pivot to mobile learning did not disrupt the commitment of English language learners or their teachers, said James Stabler-Havener, director of Fordham’s Institute of American Language and Culture (IALC).

“Students and teachers persisted with their classes and far exceeded the city’s benchmarks for educational gains. This is a testimony to the resilience and grit of our neighbors and the creativity of the Institute’s staff,” said Stabler-Havener.

For more than three decades, IALC has offered English courses to college students from around the world. In 2018, IALC extended its courses to the Bronx community for free. Since then, more than 450 people have participated in the program, which has also provided free career workshops and programs on immigrant rights.

Supporting Vulnerable New Yorkers

In 2019, Fordham was awarded a grant of $116,679 from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to support the ESL program, which taught more than 200 students in 2019-2020. The grant funded instruction for approximately 70 students, helped secure a new class location—the Immaculate Conception Church on East Gunhill Road—and created additional evening classes at the Rose Hill campus for students who work during the day.

“We are so grateful for the support of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation,” said Stabler-Havener. “We’re proud to partner with them in their work to support immigrants and help them succeed.”

Classes started in person in late winter. But when the pandemic struck New York City in March, the Community ESL program—and its students, many of whom are essential workers—took a major hit.

More than 40% of students and staff contracted the new coronavirus, according to survey results from late June. Thirty-seven percent reported they had between one and 12 infected family members, while 6.4% said they had lost up to four family members due to complications from the virus. Meanwhile, they watched neighbors and church community members become hospitalized or die from the virus.

“My husband and I were left without a job, and we could not apply to economic benefits due to our immigration status,” Raysa, a 47-year-old woman from the Dominican Republic, wrote in an email. “My husband, my sister-in-law, and my cousin and I had COVID-19. Many of my friends died in New York and the Dominican Republic.”

Students with children studying remotely from home said they struggled to find space and time to concentrate on their own studies. But they were determined to complete their classes, said IALC staff members. In mid-March, the Community ESL program transitioned to delivering instruction via WhatsApp, a free messaging app available on any cell phone. For the students—many of whom lacked personal computers or the internet at home—it was the most convenient platform.

Every week, students met in three-hour classes on the app. They watched tutorial videos recorded by their teachers and completed digital worksheets. They checked their answers against online answer keys and asked peers and teachers for help via text message. But students and staff also used the app to ensure that they were all safe and healthy.

A Way to Check In

“When we first heard about students who got infected with Covid, we kept track of those students to provide resources—to say, hey, do you have food in your pantry? Can we register you for food services that the city is providing? Have you been tested? Have you gone to the hospital?” said Community ESL Program Coordinator Jesús Aceves-Loza. “It was not only the ESL instruction that we offered, but also keeping track of those students and their family members who were affected by Covid. That flourished out of the community we created on WhatsApp.”

Aceves-Loza recalled students who called or texted him to confirm they had COVID-19 and couldn’t make it to class, yet promised to complete the day’s exercises. Another student, whose husband was receiving therapy for a separate condition after being in the hospital for three months, also continued her studies, he said.

“Those are tiny examples of people who have developed resilience and a desire to be better and to overcome obstacles, and to live to the best of their abilities,” said Aceves-Loza. “When there’s a will, there’s a way.”

‘We Took Care of Each Other’

In emailed testimonials, students described how the ESL program impacted their lives.

Raysa said she can now pick up the phone at work, talk with clients, and speak with her doctor without translation. For student Ramiro Perez, a 29-year-old construction worker from Guatemala, the program helped him communicate better with his coworkers. And for Silva, a 27-year-old woman from Albania, the program helped her become more active outside her home.

“As a mother who takes care of her daughter and stays at home, [the program]has made me active and more social with people who are not in my community,” Silva wrote.

As the students learned English, Yimeng Li, one of three ESL teachers who taught during the pandemic, said she saw her students grow and stay optimistic.

“Even though most of my adult ESL students faced challenges due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were still eager to continue their English language learning,” said Li, a 2019 alumna from the Graduate School of Education. “Even though I couldn’t meet and greet my students due to social distancing, our hearts were always together. And no matter how difficult the problems might be, all the students and instructors had positive attitudes … We took care of each other.”

At the end of April, Li and her students held their last class together. Li messaged them a thank-you note on WhatsApp, recorded with her own voice. In their final lesson, she asked them to write their own thank-you note in English to someone. A few students chose Li.

“I will always carry you in my heart. Hopefully one day we will meet again,” a student wrote to Li and her colleagues in a handwritten note. “God bless you, Jesus, Xiomara, and all those who make this program possible.”

The dinner reception and certificate ceremony capped off the first English as a Second Language (ESL) course offered to Bronx adults by Fordham’s Institute of American Language and Culture (IALC). The free course was made possible by a grant from the city’s Department of Youth and Community Development and through collaboration with Fordham’s Office of Sponsored Programs.

“We wanted to be more involved in the community,” Community ESL Program Coordinator Jesús Aceves-Loza said of the IALC, which has been providing English courses for college students from around the world for more than 30 years.

“The Jesuits have this principle of cura personalis, care for the whole person. Talking metaphorically, the whole person is the Bronx, and we need to address the needs of every part of that huge body.”

Students in the Community ESL program hailed from 13 countries, including Nicaragua, Mexico, Italy, and the Dominican Republic. Many of them brought children and other family members to the reception. After the certificate presentation, some gave speeches or performances, including dances, songs, and even a clown act.

‘I Have Been Waiting for This’

Aceves-Loza said the ESL students ranged in age from a young man of 23 to 83-year-old “Italian nonna” Giuseppina Cibelli, of whom he spoke fondly.

“She said, ‘This is the first time we feel that any Catholic college is interested in us. For 50 years I have been waiting for this. It’s wonderful that Fordham is taking care of us as its neighbors.’”

The program was taught and developed by Joy Jo, Ed.D., and other ESL teachers from the IALC; other volunteer instructors included Fordham staff, students, and Jesuit scholastics from Ciszek Hall.  All teachers completed a certificate program in Mental Health/First Aid from the New York City health department as part of their training.

The course was taught on the Rose Hill campus and, through a connection with Fordham’s Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice, at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish, which had offered ESL courses in the past. Several of the students were nuns in the Hermanas Misioneras Servidoras de la Palabra order, who come from Mexico and serve communities throughout the Bronx.

“We had a chance to learn firsthand about the challenges these people face on a daily basis,” said Aceves-Loza. During the assessment period, he said, “Some people broke down.” Some students were living in shelters, looking to find a job so they could find a home. Some were refugees. Some were looking to advance in their jobs and provide a better life for their families.

Supporting Not Just Students, but Families

One of the students, Luis Ingram, works in a company that makes electronic systems for elevators. He is a 37-year-old father of two children who came to the U.S. from Nicaragua.

“This program has given me the chance not only to learn a new language, but also to find new opportunities and open new doors in my life,” said Ingram, who wants to go back to college and become a manager. Aceves-Loza said for Ingram, “family is everything.”

Many of the program’s students had a high level of education, holding bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Most had finished high school. “But they can’t find a job here because they don’t speak English,” Aceves-Loza said.

Student Quendy Perez, 47, lives with her son, Adonis, who was also a student in the program. Perez has a part-time job, but wants to become proficient in English in order to find better employment. She built a strong connection with Professor Jo, her instructor.

“I love the way she teaches us,” said Perez, who came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic, “I also love her passion, patience, and dedication.”

The program initially enrolled 146 students with beginner and intermediate English skills. Some had to drop out because of other commitments, including one person who found a job during the course—“which was a good reason!” said Aceves-Loza. At the end of the six-month program, Fordham presented 96 certificates to students who showed a gain on the assessment test and attended at least 85 percent of classes.

James Stabler-Havener, director of the IALC, noted that working together with the Office of Sponsored Programs, the institute received a renewal of the grant and is also seeking additional funding sources to expand the program for returning students and new students.

In the meantime, over the summer the institute will be offering free career workshops, as well as programs on immigrant rights and how to navigate the school system as parents.

“When we enroll a student, it’s not the student alone, it’s their family,” said Aceves-Loza, who noted that these language skills are helping adults to communicate with their own children, many of whom have forgotten their parents’ native tongue. “Family support is crucial.”

Aceves-Loza said when a representative from the Department of Youth and Community Development came to visit the program, she called it a model.

“She said, ‘You are one of my two best programs,’” he said, acknowledging that he and his colleagues appreciated the praise.

“But it’s much better to see how the program has changed lives.”

Each morning, the students took intensive English classes and kept daily diary entries (in English) chronicling their thoughts and impressions of their New York City experience. In the afternoon and evening they embarked on guided New York excursions related to the content discussed in their classes—from the Statue of Liberty to the United Nations to Times Square.

For example, their trip to the Metropolitan Museum, said associate director Amy Evans, sought to deepen their appreciation for art: how to look at works from different eras, how to consider the historical context in which the work was created, and how to simply embrace the way it made them feel. Students tracked down various pieces in a scavenger hunt, often chronicling their discoveries through photographs and descriptive observations.

“This is an example of what is meant by ‘experiential learning,'” Evans said.

The institute welcomed 11 students from China.