Category: children

Treating Babies Addicted to Drugs

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To the Editor:

RE: “Newly Born, and Withdrawing from Painkillers” (news article, April 9, 2011):

It is troubling to read how little progress has been made in understanding the impact in utero exposure to addictive drugs can have on babies born to pregnant substance abusers. In the 1990s concern was expressed over a potential lost generation of “crack babies.” Treatment organizations responded as best they could with programs for women and children that provided links to medical and child development services and with programs that tackle the mother’s poverty, poor education and lack of job skills.

But despite data supporting increased financing of prevention services and treatment programs that target pregnant substance abusers, limited resources and stigma discourage women from seeking treatment for fear of having the baby removed from their care.

Renewed effort must be made to reach drug-troubled women before they get pregnant, and in the event they are expecting a child, community clinics and hospitals need to be educated about addiction treatment and where to refer both mother and baby for long-term care.

PETER PROVET
President, Odyssey House
New York, April 11, 2011

 

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

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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.”

Manor Family Center gets a new playground

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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

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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!

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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

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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


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Designing a dream playground!

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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

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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.