On a bright spring morning, Odyssey House gathered family, friends, staff, board members, and community supporters for its annual Mother’s Day Breakfast — an event that has become one of the most cherished mornings on the Odyssey House calendar.
“This breakfast is one of my favorite mornings of the year,” said Isobelle Surface, SVP, Director of Communications, who welcomed guests to the program. “Because in this room, we don’t just talk about recovery in the abstract. We sit across from it. We break bread with it. We celebrate it together.”
The breakfast honored the mothers in treatment at Odyssey House, whose courage and commitment to recovery inspire everyone around them. It also recognized two women whose careers have made a lasting difference for families across New York.
Honoring Outstanding Achievement
This year’s Public Service Award was presented to Julia Watt-Rosenfeld, a community organizer with two decades of experience fighting for affordable housing, improved schools, and equitable policy across New York City. Today, she serves as Campaign Manager of the Spring Street Climate Fund and as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Service at NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Julia is also a Trustee of the Elizabeth and Barets O. Benjamin Foundation, through which she honors the legacy of her father, Odyssey House’s beloved late Board Chair George Rosenfeld.
The Advocacy Award was presented to Patricia Lincourt, Deputy Commissioner of Programs at the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). With over 35 years of clinical and administrative experience spanning addiction, mental health, and child welfare, Patricia oversees OASAS divisions of Prevention, Harm Reduction, Treatment and Recovery, and Criminal Justice. A champion of evidence-based, person-centered care, her partnership with Odyssey House has had a meaningful and lasting impact on the families we serve.
A Morning to Remember
The program was emceed by Monica Morales, an eight-time Emmy Award-winning reporter and host of PIX11’s “Monica Makes It Happen” — returning for her third consecutive year. “The courage it takes to be here, to do this work, to choose your family and yourself at the same time — that is something I have enormous respect and admiration for,” she told the room.
Guests were also treated to a special video featuring mothers in treatment at Odyssey House sharing their stories in their own words, alongside reflections from Dr. Uju Berry, psychiatrist, research director at NYU, and Odyssey House Board member.
The highlight of the morning came when three mothers in treatment at Odyssey House stepped to the podium to share their own stories — a moment that drew on the unique power of this event to bring the mission of Odyssey House to life.
Longtime sponsors Precision Pharmacy never miss an event.
A Community That Shows Up
Closing remarks were delivered by John Tavolacci, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, who recognized the generous sponsors whose support makes the work of Odyssey House possible year-round. “Your generosity is not just a line item — it is a lifeline,” he said. “It is housing, it is treatment, it is a mother holding her baby in a safe place.”
Special thanks were extended to the Elizabeth and Barets O. Benjamin Foundation and the Elevance Foundation for their support of the event and Odyssey House’s family services, along with the many corporate and individual sponsors whose contributions made the morning possible.
For the mothers in our programs, mornings like this one serve as a powerful reminder: they are not walking this road alone.