From left: Mother’s Day Celebration 2024 honorees Judge Ellen N. Biben and Eva Pittas; mothers in treatment, Michelle and Elizabeth; honoree Linda Fodera; Prisca Salazar-Rodriguez, Odyssey House Boards of Trustees; and PIX11’s Monica Morales, event emcee.
On a beautiful spring day, Odyssey House held its most successful Mother’s Day Celebration to date. Emceed by PIX11 Reporter/Anchor Monica Morales, it raised essential funds that will be directed toward empowering women and families on their recovery journeys. The event honored women in leadership whose dedication to recovery has been instrumental in strengthening families throughout NYC: Hon. Ellen N. Biben, Linda Fodera, and Eva Pittas.
The Hon. Ellen N. Biben, Administrative Judge of New York County Supreme Court, Criminal Term, was honored with the Public Service Award. Judge Biben was recognized for her role in establishing and presiding over the New York County Supreme Court Felony Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) Court, the first all-purpose felony ATI in the country.
Acknowledging her hardworking staff, Judge Biben said, “Our ATI court is predicated on two essential features: the firm belief that people
can overcome challenges and the necessity of community to support and allow those transformations. Recovery thrives in connection and community.”
She continued, “All of you in recovery inspire us. You’re working hard to transform your lives for yourself and your families. You remind us that hope is not a solitary endeavor. It flourishes within the embrace of community. No one does this work alone. Let us all continue to work together but build on each other’s strength and hope.”
Linda Fodera received the Community Service Award. She is a Senior Vice President at Gallagher Benefit Services, where she provides consulting services to companies. Ms. Fodera joined Gallagher in September 2015 and has worked with Odyssey House ever since. She specializes in helping companies design and tailor benefit programs that meet the needs of their employees and the organizations’ financial goals.
Eva Pittas received the Leadership Award. She is the co-founder, President, and COO of Thoropass, a compliance and audit solution company where she leads customer experience and internal operations. She and her family have been involved with Odyssey House for nearly a decade. Ms. Pittas has firsthand experience with the challenges families face when dealing with mental illness and substance use disorders and has witnessed the impactful work Odyssey House performs to support families and individuals.
“When we began our journey to get our daughter help 10 years ago, my husband and I relied heavily on the advice and counsel of Odyssey House. They helped us get our daughter on the path to recovery,” said Ms. Pittas. “The work that Odyssey House does is so meaningful and such an important part of who we are as a family. We will be forever grateful for the support that you all have given us, and we will continue to give back.”
Erasing barriers, creating hope
The event is a unique opportunity to recognize the incredible strength and resilience of the mothers in our programs. Many of these women have overcome immense challenges to break the cycle of addiction and rebuild their lives. Two of these mothers, Michelle and Elizabeth, movingly spoke about their struggles with addiction and the joy of parenting in recovery.
Michelle is the mom of an energetic little girl and has been in treatment for six months. After a long history of drug use and losing several family members and friends to overdose, Michelle was determined to give her daughter a better life. “I wanted to get help, but I didn’t know where or how.” A counselor recommended Odyssey House, and she never looked back. “Being in Odyssey House has helped me understand and cope with my emotions and identify my relapse triggers.
“My relationship with my daughter has flourished while being here. I learned to be the mother I was meant to be and the mother my little girl deserves,” she said.
Elizabeth found out she was pregnant when she was three months along. She immediately stopped using substances, but, she relapsed in her third trimester. This led to every new mom’s worst nightmare. “Two days after my delivery, my daughter was taken away from me. A week later, I was admitted to the George Rosenfeld Center for Recovery.
“I cannot believe such a beautiful place is where I’m starting my family’s journey. I get so much guidance from the staff, and the other moms have become my support system. Becoming sober has been intense. After using substances for 14 years, I really didn’t know the person I would be sober. But now I’m grateful for being a sober mom, a sister for my siblings to be proud of, and the woman who gave birth to the miracle that is my daughter.”
Visit youtube.com/odysseyhouseny to find out more about Michelle and Elizabeth in our Mother’s Day campaign, “Erasing Barriers, Creating Hope.”