Blog & News

Celebrate the Season with our Young People’s Chorus

Buy tickets for Once Upon the Holidays here. It’s holiday time and Karla Dionicio is ready to sing. “We’re going to do Christmas songs like Fa La La La La, La La La La!” she says excitedly.  Dionicio is a member of the Young People’s Chorus of New York City at Goddard Riverside, one of […]

Two Books About Youth Claim Our Social Justice Book Prizes

Many of our programs at Goddard Riverside are focused on maximizing opportunities for young people. So it’s appropriate that both of our book prizes this year went to works addressing youth and the challenges they face. Abandoned: America’s Lost Youth and the Crisis of Disconnection won the Goddard Riverside Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice, […]

Spread the Holiday Joy! Volunteers Needed for our Thanksgiving Meal

Volunteer to deliver Thanksgiving meals! Email ekennedy@goddard.org On Thanksgiving and Christmas, Goddard Riverside will coordinate with our amazing volunteers to provide a festive homemade meal to anyone who wants one—as we have for years. But we’re also taking steps to keep our community safe from the COVID-19 epidemic. “This year, all meals will be picked […]

The Book Fair Goes Online

Goddard Riverside’s 34th Annual Book Fair will be the first held completely online.  “The Book Fair is here just in time for the holidays!” said Beth Dunphe, Goddard’s director of development. “Just go to the Book Fair site at goddard.org/bookfair2020 this Saturday morning at 8 to shop for brand-new bestsellers at half price or less.” […]

TOP members chat on a bench in Riverside Park

TOP Finds New Ways to Connect During COVID

There was a nip of fall in the air when a group of friends gathered in Riverside Park. They munched on donuts while catching up on each other’s news. Then they took a walk to enjoy the last of the summer’s flowers. This wasn’t just any coffee break. These friends are members of our TOP […]

Headshot of Goddard Riverside Executive Director Roderick L. Jones wearing a pink and white checked shirt and gray suit and tie

A Lesson in Empathy

I believe deeply in the potential of every human being. I’m grateful to have a job where I get to invest in building that potential every day. But recently I was reminded that we all struggle with our own internal biases in our relationships with other people.  I was riding the train and a gentleman […]

Gala Series Features Exciting Conversations on the Issues of the Day

This year’s Annual Gala will be the first of its kind. We’ve taken our usual one-night celebration and spread it out over every Thursday evening in October! Starting on October 1, we’re bringing you a series of fascinating conversations on social justice issues. October 1: Jeffrey Toobin, CNN Analyst. Could there be a more timely moment […]

Crismary Lopez and her tutor Jane O'Connor at the Star Learning Center

A Star Learning Center Student Shines

With an admission rate of about 4 percent, New York City’s Prep for Prep program is a little more competitive than Harvard and significantly tougher than getting into Yale. But those odds were no match for Star Learning Center 5th grader Crismary Lopez of Washington Heights, who was accepted into the program earlier this year.  Prep for […]

Stephan Russo speaking at a rally for supportive housing in 2015

“There Clearly Are Answers”: A Lifetime of Lessons in Fighting Homelessness

Learn more about our supportive housing and homeless outreach programs! The current controversy over homelessness on the Upper West Side has made headlines across the country. But to former Goddard Riverside Executive Director Stephan Russo, it’s old news — part of an decades-long battle over who “belongs” on the Upper West Side and who doesn’t. […]

Executive Director Roderick L. Jones and host Angela Henry share the podium at the 2019 Goddard Gala

From the Book Fair to the Gala, our Fall Events are On!

Goddard Riverside’s festive fall gatherings are going forward — but they’ll look a little different this year due to COVID-19. As usual, the Annual Gala leads the way. Instead of one night, this year’s Gala will fill five consecutive Thursday evenings in October. Each of these online events will feature a different thought leader on […]