We’re glad you’re here.
At Odyssey House, we believe in transparency, community, and celebrating progress. Our News Archive is a place where you can explore the stories that have shaped our work—milestones in recovery, moments of advocacy, community events, and the voices of those we serve.
Whether you’re a long-time supporter or just learning about us, this archive offers a window into the heart of our mission.
Here’s what you’ll find:
- Newsletters – Browse through years of Odyssey House News, our twice-yearly publication highlighting client achievements, program updates, and staff stories.
- Event Coverage – See recaps and photos from our 5K run, art openings, community celebrations, and special gatherings.
- Recognition & Impact – Read about awards, partnerships, and the measurable impact of our programs.
- Archives by Month – Looking for something specific? Use the filter to find what you’re looking for quickly.
How to Navigate:
- Use the sidebar menu or dropdown to select a specific year or topic.
- Click on any headline to read the full post.
- Want to read our most recent updates? Head to the main news page for the latest stories.
If you have questions or are looking for something you can’t find, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re always happy to help.
Thank you for being part of the Odyssey House community. We hope you enjoy exploring our story.
LaQuanda’s second chance
LaQuanda Edgefield, a resident at the Odyssey House Family Re-Entry program, was chosen by OASAS to share her story of recovery as part of the Your Story Matters campaign. Here is an excerpt:I came walking through the doors of recovery sick, suffering, tired, and...
Register for Run for Your Life!
Please join Odyssey House in supporting men, women and children in recovery at our 4th Annual Run for Your Life 5K Fun Run/2-Mile Walk, to be held on Saturday, September 26th at Icahn Stadium, Randall’s Island. This year’s race will have some exciting new activities,...
The Road to Recovery Features Gourmet Dining in NYC
Supporting affordable housing
Residents and staff from the Haven and Harbor attended a press conference at city hall last week to support continued funding for affordable housing. New York State Assembly Member Vito Lopez used the press conference to announce an initiative to create an “Empire...
Battling to Be Drug-Free
The New York Times today published a letter by Peter Provet, president of Odyssey House, questioning the use of heroin to treat heroin addiction. The letter can be found on page A22 in the print edition. Check it out and let us know what you think. The New York Times...
Kym Hampton visits Odyssey House teens
Former WNBA player Kym Hampton came to the Teen Leadership Center last Thursday to spend time with teens in treatment at Odyssey House. Ms. Hampton, who played for the New York Liberty, spoke about her career and the importance of goal setting. She also invited them...
Serve.gov features the story of our playground build
As many of you know, we recently built a fantastic playground for the children of Family Re-Entry. What you may not know is that it rained more than 2 inches during the build! Serve.gov published the story of how we overcame the elements to make a dream come true for...
Torrential Rain? Bring It On
Serve.gov By Gary H. Odyssey House, Inc., a 40 year old non-profit community service agency devoted to assisting disenfranchised individuals with substance abuse and mental health problems, serves many different populations in our residential treatment facilities and...
Join Odyssey House on Facebook!
Odyssey House is now on Facebook! To become a fan, just click HERE or search for “Odyssey House Inc.” the next time you login. Once you become a fan, you’ll be able to join or start a discussion, receive updates from our blog, get information about events that you can...
East Harlem Supportive Housing Development: Construction Update #2
Construction on our 50-apartment, long-term housing development at 123rd Street in East Harlem continues. The first complete floor is scheduled to be handed over to us with a temporary certificate of occupancy in mid-October. The entire building will be operational...
National drug czar visits Edgecombe
R. Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), visited the Edgecombe Residential Treatment Facility in Harlem last week. Kerlikowske met with Odyssey House officials and commissioners from the Office of Alcoholism and...
Odyssey House Theatre Project debuts on Broadway!
Last month, the Odyssey House Theatre Project made its Broadway debut at the Studio Theatre on 42nd Street. The ensemble performed "Shape the Dream," a collection of 15 original plays, for two packed audiences.The ensemble was comprised of 10 teens in treatment at...
Odyssey House Family Center Gets New Playground
Save the Date! 4th Annual Run for Your Life 5K Fun Run/2 Mile Walk
Registration will begin July 6th on our website!
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...
Aetna grant supports oral health education program for children
Recently, two of our foundation partners from Aetna – Miguel Centeno, vice president of strategic market development, and Christopher Montross, vice president and assistant controller – visited Odyssey House to see our dental clinic in action.Last year, the Aetna...
Growing green at the MABON
In our latest newsletter, we talked about our Green Team and how they’re working to make Odyssey House more environmentally friendly. One of the projects the Team has been working on is a vegetable garden at our MABON facility. Below are the first photos from the...
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...
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...
For Parolees, “Dirty” Urine Doesn’t Mean a Trip Up the River
Our Spring 2009 newsletter is now available!
The Spring 2009 edition of Odyssey House News is now available online. Read about our Green Team, latest art projects, 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...
Law & Order episode filmed at Odyssey House to air May 20th
As previously mentioned, Law & Order came to Odyssey House this month to film scenes for an upcoming episode, titled "Skate or Die." The episode is scheduled to air on Wednesday, May 20th at 10 pm on Channel 4/NBC.*We hope you enjoy the show! Let us know what you...
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...
Local artist volunteers with 6th Street teens
Collage artist Chad Porter has been volunteering with teens at the Leadership Center to create a series of 4 murals to be shown at our upcoming art show in July. Check back soon for more information about the art show.Chad, on the left, working with teens on one of...
Save the Date! Odyssey House Theatre Project debut performance
Please contact info@odysseyhouseinc.org for more information.
Odyssey House hosts Law & Order shoot
Law & Order came to Odyssey House last week to film a few scenes from an upcoming episode, “Skate or Die.” The set designers transformed the Mabon building into an area at Riker’s Island and a homeless shelter. To accommodate the shoot, Mabon staff planned a...
Local schoolchildren offer encouragement to Outpatient clients
Clients at Outpatient Services received a special gift yesterday – encouragement bracelets from elementary schoolchildren in the Bronx. Talya Moncrease’s first-grade class at P.S. 130 participated in a lesson on appreciating differences and overcoming obstacles. The...
Guest Blogger: Peter Provet responds to NY Times article
Today, the New York Times published an article (“To Trim Costs, States Relax Hard Line on Prisons”) on the increasing number of states relying on alternatives to incarceration as a means of cutting costs. Eventually it had to stop. The fact that hard economy reality...
Guest Blogger: Peter Provet on the Rockefeller drug laws
As Governor David Paterson moves to overhaul New York State’s Rockefeller drug laws, legislators, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials need to throw their weight behind an established treatment program that offers so much more than just an alternative to...
Teens in treatment begin theater workshop
Beginning today, 15 teens in treatment at Odyssey House will be participating in a three month playwriting workshop, the Odyssey House Theatre Project. The teens will participate in all stages of the playwriting process, from concept development to stage production....