Category: children

2 days left to make your year-end donation!

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Every year, hundreds of mothers like Heaven come through our doors looking for help to break the cycle of substance abuse and create a nurturing home for their children.

Please make a year-end gift so more mothers can get the help they need to secure a brighter future for themselves and their children.

Your donation will provide welcome baskets to new mothers entering our Family Center, filled with all the supplies a new mother needs, as well as winter coats and accessories for the children.

Click here to make your tax-deductible year-end donation now and #GiveHope to the mothers in our programs.

Thank you for your continued support. Best wishes for a joyful New Year!

Breaking the cycle of addiction, one family at a time

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In celebration of our 50th anniversary, each month we will be sharing a story that highlights one of our programs or treatment populations. This month we are highlighting our Early Educational Center.

Moms battling drug and alcohol addiction often face a tough choice: taking care of themselves or taking care of their children. At Odyssey House, they don’t have to make that choice, because pregnant women and parents with children can stay together, helping to build stronger families.

Mothers addiction treatment family servicesIn mid-2016, Jacqueline, 36, pregnant with her third child, nearly had to make that choice. Unable to find a program that could help her in her hometown of Boston, and desperate to get sober, Jacqueline came to New York and began treatment at Odyssey House.

Like other parents in our program, Jacqueline is learning to create a nurturing relationship with her son while addressing a wide array of issues, including managing emotional stress, tackling medical and mental health issues, and identifying safe and secure housing.

While Jacqueline engages in clinical services, our Early Educational Center focuses on assisting children like her son in reaching their full developmental potential in five on-site, licensed daycare and preschool classrooms, serving children from two months to six years of age. “The teachers are wonderful,” says Jacqueline. “They’re great with the kids and very hands-on. It’s reassuring to know that my son is safe and in good hands while I’m in group sessions.”

Being in treatment with her son keeps Jacqueline focused on her recovery. “Having my son with me is so motivating. I’m not sure I could do it without him – thinking about him all the time would be too distracting,” she says. “But here I can work through my issues and work towards my goals, so I can be the best mother I can be. I wasn’t able to raise my two older kids, and I don’t want to lose the chance to raise him too.”

Through the Family Center of Excellence, Odyssey House strives to break the cycle of addiction one family at a time.

Happy #GivingTuesday

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gt-mother-childToday’s the day to #givehope to mothers working to rebuild their lives at Odyssey House. It’s the day that you can make a big impact on Odyssey House and on the mothers and children in our programs.

With your help, we’ll raise funds to provide welcome baskets to new mothers entering our Manor Family Center, filled with all the supplies a new mother needs, as well as winter coats and accessories for the children in our programs.

If you make a gift through GoodWorld TODAY, we will earn matching funds – making your support go even further.

There are two ways to get the match:

Only you can help us reach our fundraising goal this #GivingTuesday. Let’s do it together!

Holiday Toy & Book Drive!

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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!

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Odyssey House Newsletter Summer 2015


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)odysseyhousenyc.org.

Don’t Forget to join us for our Run For Your Life this Fall!

Caring for Every Child’s Mental Health

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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

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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!

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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:

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

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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.