Ursuline School Students Thank First Responders at St. Vincent's

New Rochelle - February, 2022 - During the summer of 2020 when many people where isolated at home during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alexandra “Ally” Patz began writing cards of encouragement to ease the suffering.

The Ursuline School sophomore is continuing her campaign and recently organized more than 20 students at the school to write letters and deliver them to first responders at St. Vincent’s Hospital Westchester in Harrison, a division of the Saint Joseph’s Medical Center.

Lorraine Horgan, Vice President of External Affairs at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center, said when Ally had approached her to ask how she and Ursuline students could help, Horgan suggested writing letters to the frontline workers on the inpatient psychiatric units at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Harrison, which provides counseling and mental health services.

Ally and students at the school got together on Feb. 16 and wrote more than 80 cards that were delivered to the hospital the following day. Ally creates and designs all the cards by hand.

“The COVID pandemic has placed incredible stress on peoples’ mental health over the past two years,’’ said Ally. “Staff at St. Vincent’s not only deal with the psychiatric needs of their patients, but also interact with patients who may be COVID positive. They are exhausted from working long hours and fear for the safety of their patients, their family and their own personal health. We wanted to let them know that they are brave and courageous and that we are grateful for their work, and that they are helping a lot of people and making a difference.’’

“We are grateful to Ally and her fellow students for thinking of the frontline workers at St. Vincent’s Hospital. Behavioral health workers are often overlooked as frontline responders. Receiving the letters from the students was a real morale booster for the staff,” said Michael Spicer, President and CEO of Saint Joseph’s Medical Center.

St. Vincent’s is just the latest beneficiary of Ally’s generosity. She recently sent thank you cards to firefighters who responded to the Bronx fire in January that killed 17 people. She also continues to send cards monthly to the Eastchester Meals on Wheels program, which she started doing two years ago.

Ally recruited other students at the school through X2VOL, a platform that centralizes the school's service opportunities and tracks service hours. Community service is heavily stressed at the school as part of the Ursuline mission of Serviam, which means “I will serve” in Latin.

“Ally beautifully lives out Serviam, which is one of the core values that we encourage in our students and that has been an integral part of our mission for 125 years,’’ said school President Dr. Colleen Melnyk.

About The Ursuline School

The Ursuline School is an all-girls, Roman Catholic, independent college preparatory school, grades 6-12, celebrating its 125th year. It is located on a 13-acre modern campus in New Rochelle. The mission of the school is to educate, inspire and empower young women to become wise, active, globally-minded leaders by cultivating lifelong learning, spiritual growth, integrity, respect for all and dedication to Serviam – “I will serve.”

About St. Vincent’s Hospital Westchester

St. Vincent’s Hospital Westchester division of Saint Joseph’s Medical Center offers inpatient and outpatient mental health and addiction treatment services at its campus in Harrison and at off-site locations in White Plains, Tuckahoe, and Port Chester.