Holiday Toy & Book Drive!

With the holidays approaching, our thoughts turn to the families in our care, including the many infants, toddlers, and preschoolers living with their parents in residential treatment.

Please join us in making a difference in a child’s life this season by contributing to a toy and book drive benefiting the children in our programs.

Holidays are a difficult time for families in recovery. Your support makes a big difference in the lives of parents who are working to rebuild their lives, and the small children whose developmental needs are also being served. Your gifts will be distributed at our annual Odyssey House Family Center holiday party on December 15th, bringing families together in a healthy, nurturing way to celebrate the spirit of generosity and sharing.

We welcome your donation of new, unwrapped toys and books for young children up to age 7. We are asking that all donations and/or contributions be submitted to the Odyssey House Family Center (219 East 121st Street), to the attention of Ms. Aries Young, Deputy Director of Early Educational Services, by Friday, December 11th. Or to schedule a pick-up, please contact Carolyn Abrams at cabrams@odysseyhouseinc.org or 212-361-1660.

Our Summer 2015 newsletter is now available!

The Summer 2015 edition of Odyssey House News is now available online. Read about our renovated medical clinic, latest art show, new services and more. Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments or on our Facebook wall. Click here to read it (pdf). If you'd like to receive a copy in the mail, please email your contact information to info(at)odysseyhouseinc.org.

And don't forget to join us on September 19th for our 10th Annual Run for Your Life celebration!

Save the date! Run for Your Life celebrates 10 years

10th Annual Run for Your Life

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Join us at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island for music, entertainment, children’s activities and more in commemoration of National Recovery Month! The fun begins at 9:30 am with children’s races. Online registration will open in July.

Caring for Every Child’s Mental Health

Last week, the Odyssey House Manor Family Center joined communities across the country in celebrating the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day to highlight the importance of caring for every child’s mental health. This year marked the 10th anniversary of Awareness Day and focused on the needs of children, youth, and young adults with mental and substance use disorders and their families.

To commemorate Awareness Day, the Manor Family Center held a book reading and activity for the children and their mothers. The book, Our Gracie Aunt by Jacqueline Woodson, concerned young children coping with their mother’s mental illness. They then participated in an art project where they illustrated different emotions.

Children react to a passage from Our Gracie Aunt.

 “Awareness Day is an opportunity for us to celebrate the positive impact that we can have on the lives of children, youth and young adults when we are able to integrate positive mental health into every environment,” said Dr. Peter Provet, president and CEO of Odyssey House. “When we focus on building resilience and social-emotional skills in young children from birth, we can help young children, youth, and their families thrive.”

A mother in recovery

In honor of Mother's Day, we are sharing Samantha's story. Samantha is in treatment with her two young children at our Family Center of Excellence. 

When Samantha entered Odyssey House mere days after giving birth to her second child, she was looking for a second chance – to be a better mother, to secure a brighter future, to achieve a sustainable recovery. 

A few years earlier, Samantha had spent 13 months in another treatment program for opiate addiction. She was clean for four years before relapsing. “I didn’t have the right attitude the first time around. I didn’t think I needed to be there.” But now, as a mother of two young children, ages eight months and three years, recovery took on a whole new significance. 

“It’s not just about me anymore. I’m committed to recovery in a way I wasn’t before – I’m far more open-minded and receptive to treatment. If I don’t stay clean, I’ll lose everything and I’m not going to let that happen. I have two lives depending on me.” 

Though the process has been overwhelming at times, being in treatment with her children has kept Samantha motivated. “The nursery has been incredibly helpful, and the parenting groups are amazing. I’ve learned healthy coping skills, appropriate discipline techniques, and patience.” 

As Samantha nears the end of her treatment at Odyssey House, she has been preparing for the future – training to become a home health aide and seeking assistance with housing. “When I leave here, it’ll be the first time having a place of my own. I can’t wait to have a fresh start, and to demonstrate to my kids why it’s important to put your best foot forward and do the right thing.”

In the Odyssey House Family Center of Excellence, mothers learn how to break the cycle of substance abuse and create a nurturing home for their children. Mothers and their young children live together in bright, comfortable quarters as part of a community that is safe, supportive and enjoyable. Click here for more information.

Shop Barnes & Noble 11/17-11/22 & support Odyssey House!

Starting Monday, November 17th until Saturday, November 22nd, 10% of net proceeds of purchases made online or in-store at Barnes & Noble Tribeca will benefit children living at the Family Center in East Harlem over the holidays.

Here's how to take advantage of this limited time offer:

• Click on this website and enter the code #11491115 
• Or visit Barnes & Noble Tribeca (just 3 blocks west of City Hall Park) and simply mention the Odyssey House Bookfair to the cashier when purchasing your items 

Barnes &Noble Tribeca will kick off this special campaign for Odyssey House with an in-store reading and signing of Squickerwonkers: Volume 1 by Evangeline Lilly on Monday, November 17th at 4:00 pm. Ms. Lilly is known for her roles in The Hobbit and the ABC television series "Lost."

If you would like to reserve a seat for the reading, please contact Susanna Miller at 212-361-1610 or smiller@odysseyhouseinc.org.

Thank you for making the holidays special for the children of Odyssey House!

Garden therapy

Odyssey House was featured in an article by The Wall Street Journal about the Carver Community Garden in East Harlem. Earlier this spring, the Manor Family Center acquired two plots at the garden and, with the help of residents and their children, planted a variety of vegetables. More information on Odyssey House's participation in the garden and how it is being used as an educational tool for parents and children will be in our upcoming summer newsletter. Click here to read the full article.

Josiah Viacava, playing in Carver Community Garden, which is tilled by locals on East 124th Street. Josiah lives in the Odyssey House Family Center with his mother.

Local Bronx organizations hold toy drive for Family Re-Entry children

Once again, the children of the Odyssey House Family Re-Entry program in the Bronx were the beneficiaries of a toy drive organized by the Bound by Honor Motorcycle Club and the Bronx Bikers Alliance. The organizations ensured that each child received an age appropriate toy and even had a member dress up as Santa to hand out the gifts.

Odyssey House Harbor Deputy Director of Operations Liz De La Cruz, as president of the Bound by Honor Motorcycle Club, has organized the toy drive for the past three years. Ms. De La Cruz said of her club, “We share a common love for riding our motorcycles but we also want to help our Bronx community.” She continued, “It is really a nice thing to see the delight on the kids’ faces when Santa walks in with bags of toys. We hope to continue this tradition for many years to come.”

Odyssey House preschoolers sing "Feliz Navidad"

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season, from our family to yours!

Manor Family Center gets a new playground

Last Saturday, more than 250 volunteers from KaBOOM! , Kraft Foods and New York Academy of Medicine, in addition to volunteers from local universities and community organizations, joined Odyssey House staff and clients to build a new playground at the Manor Family Center.

New York's First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson kicked off the build with some inspiring words about the importance of play. Watch this short video to see what she had to say and to get a glimpse of what the day was like.

Here's a preview of photos of the day's activities. More will be posted on our Flickr page soon.

NY First Lady Michelle Paterson & Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet.

Mixing cement for installation.

Installing one of the slides.

Painting the mural.

Thank you to our volunteers for your hard work!

Monkey bars and spiral slides: a new playground for the Manor

The kids at the Odyssey House Manor will soon be getting a state-of-the-art playground to call their own. Partnering with Kraft Foods Foundation and the New York Academy of Medicine, KaBOOM! has selected Odyssey House as one of their community partners once again.

To get the project started, we held a Design Day on August 19, where the kids had the opportunity to draw their dream playground. Elements from their drawings will be incorporated into the design of the playground. Check out the video and slideshow below to see some of the kids' ideas.

On Saturday, October 9th, volunteers from Odyssey House, Kraft Foods, New York Academy of Medicine and the community will build the playground in one day. If you're interested in volunteering, please send an email to info@odysseyhouseinc.org.

Ready, Set, Play!

The children at Family Re-Entry now have a beautiful new playground! More than 150 volunteers from Odyssey House, KaBOOM!, KOOL-AID and our community partners braved the rain to assemble the playground and build the side projects. We were joined by a few very special guests - Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., Reverend Run and his wife Justine, and of course the KOOL-AID man!

Thank you to all of our volunteers for your hard work! We truly appreciate all of the time and effort that you put into making this such an incredible day.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., Justine Simmons & Reverend Run work on a side project.

Ruben Diaz, Jr., Dr. Peter Provet, Justine Simmons & Reverend Run at the closing ceremony.

Playground design & volunteer information

Based on the childrens' designs, KaBOOM had three beautiful playgrounds designed for us. After polling the parents and children at Family Re-Entry, a clear winner emerged:




The playground includes a spiral slide, monkey bars, activity panels and ladders. In addition, a number of side projects, such as murals, planters, and picnic tables, are planned to complement the space, making the space a fun, relaxing spot for our residents.

Volunteers are still needed for Build Day on June 18th!

Kickoff is at 8 am and the playground is expected to be completed by 3 pm.

Build Day takes place RAIN or SHINE! Please wear closed-toe shoes and comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing. No special skills are needed and all tools and equipment will be provided, so just show up ready to work and have fun!

Please contact Carolyn at cabrams@odysseyhouseinc.org if you'd like to volunteer or need more information.

Odyssey House Family Re-Entry
1328 Clinton Ave
Bronx, NY 10456


View Larger Map

Designing a dream playground!

Kool-Aid and organizers from KaBOOM! hosted a Design Day for children and families at Odyssey House to begin planning a brand new playground for Family Re-Entry. The children and their parents put crayon to paper to brainstorm and draw their dream playgrounds, which will ultimately become a reality. Elements from the children's drawings are being incorporated into the final design for the new playground, which will be built on June 18th by more than 150 volunteers from Odyssey House and our community partners.

More photos from Design Day can be viewed here: http://kaboombuildday.shutterfly.com/344

Odyssey House & KOOL-AID team up to build new playground

Children in Family Re-Entry will be getting brand-new playground through a community-led project sponsored by KOOL-AID.

The children will have the opportunity to design their dream playground on Design Day, May 1st. The designers will base the final blueprint on the children’s wishes as well as on input from their parents.

Build Day is Thursday, June 18th and we need your help! If you’d like to volunteer your time or services, please contact Julia at 212-987-3589.

The project is organized by KaBOOM!, a nonprofit organization that helps communities build local playspaces for children.

Odyssey House Family Re-Entry

Addressing the complex challenges of reentering the community, the Family Re-Entry Program provides transitional off-site housing for residents completing Odyssey House programs. Families live together in individual, furnished, two-bedroom apartments with 24-hour supervision and full access to Odyssey House program services, including intensive substance abuse education and counseling; medical and dental clinics; vocational and educational services; and assistance with securing permanent housing.