This spring Odyssey House held its first-ever Mother’s Day Awards Breakfast to recognize our business and community partners whose commitment to recovery strengthens families throughout NYC. Hosted by Telemundo 47 consumer/investigative reporter Liz Gonzalez, the event raised nearly $100,000 for women and families in recovery.
Awardees with Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet. From left, Patricia Zuber-Wilson, NYS Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services; NYC Councilmember Diana Ayala; Jody Silva Falk, ChemRx/PharMerica; and Liz Gonzalez, Telemundo TV.
Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet, addressed the attendees, underlining the urgency of our mission. “We help mothers learn how to break the cycle of substance abuse and create nurturing homes for their children. The George Rosenfeld Center for Recovery provides a bright, safe and supportive environment to overcome substance abuse and learn new life skills—from managing emotional stress to developing better parenting and vocational skills.”
He continued, “Now more than ever, our programs are urgently needed as American families grapple with an opioid abuse epidemic that last year claimed the lives of 66,000 people and is projected to surpass that number this year.”
Arlene Gonzalez-Sanchez, Commissioner, NYS Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services, was honored with the Leadership Award for her accomplishments overseeing one of the nation’s premier addiction services systems, with more than 1,600 programs that serve more than 100,000 New Yorkers daily.
NYC Councilmember Diana Ayala received the Public Service Award. Ms. Ayala uses her position as councilmember and chair of the Committee on Mental Health, Disability and Addiction to advocate for her constituents and address issues such as housing, homelessness, and mental health.
Jody Silva Falk, AVP, ChemRx/Pharmerica received the Community Service Award. Ms. Falk and ChemRx have been generously supporting the people in recovery at Odyssey House for more than a decade.
Producer & TV Host Jackie Contreras was given the Advocacy Award. Together with NYS OASAS and Commissioner Gonzalez-Sanchez, she produced “Nueva Esperanza Nueva Vida con OASAS,” a program to inform the Latino community about the problem of addiction and the services available through New York State for those facing challenges with addiction.
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