Blog & News

Direct Relief: The Next Front in the Fight against COVID-19

Help vulnerable New Yorkers survive the crisis. Donate to our COVID Relief Fund. When the economy takes a downturn, Wayne Tyre knows. Tyre is the director of our Resource Center, a one-stop shop for assistance with government benefits, health insurance, food aid, legal assistance and more. Since the Coronavirus hit, his phones have been ringing […]

A girl slides headfirst toward the camera on a slip 'n slide at our Lincoln Square Summer Camp

Help Us Save Summer Youth Programs

Steven Portericker remembers his first summer job—which he got at age 14 through New York City’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). “I felt proud of myself and confident,” he recalls. “It was great to feel like my presence mattered.” Portericker, a senior manager who helps oversee all of Goddard’s youth programs, stayed in SYEP for […]

Young people wearing masks hold boxes of hand sanitizers and masks in front of a NYCHA building

Teaming Up with NYCHA Tenants to Strengthen Public Housing

Cynthia Tibbs had a dilemma. The state had just delivered hand sanitizer and face masks to her office – items which, as president of the Westside Urban Renewal Tenants Association, she knew her neighbors were clamoring for. But her buildings are brownstones and they don’t have elevators. “I have 36 walkup buildings,” she explains. “I […]

Activities, Food, Rent and More⁠—COVID Resources for Families

Juggling work and family is even more challenging when you’re sheltering in place. Here are some free or low-cost resources – including from our own programs – to help families thrive.  Arts and Activities  Goddard Riverside Community Arts – We have online dance and music composition classes for all ages, plus live events! Take a ballet class, join us for Arts Potluck on May […]

Remembering Clare Dockery

Last September, a small group of neighbors gathered in a park on West 97th Street to toast their former neighbor, Clare Dockery. Clare had passed away a year prior in April 2018 at the age of 84. Clare’s friends reminisced about her and her activism. Their stories were peppered with phrases like “That was Clare!” […]

Coronavirus: A Letter from Executive Director Rod Jones

Dear Neighbors,   I am reaching out to you, our neighbors and partners, in this time of uncertainty. Goddard Riverside continues to work every day for a fair and just society, even as the COVID-19 situation escalates. As we have done for more than 160 years, Goddard Riverside is responding to the needs of New Yorkers as best we can and adapting our programs to these changing times.  We are […]

Annie Skaruppa and Team

How a 5-Year-Old Helped Fight Homelessness

Annie Skaruppa is not quite old enough for first grade. But this winter, she decided she was plenty old enough to help her fellow New Yorkers. “We were out on Broadway and she saw teenage girls selling hot chocolate to raise money for charity. She wanted to raise money for charity too,” Annie’s mother Cindy […]

Finding the Artist Within

Huan Xin Huang made his living as a farmer in the Guangdong province of China. But he couldn’t stop thinking about art. “From the time I was very young I was really interested in painting,” he recalled. He didn’t have access to training, so he taught himself oil painting by copying photos. Now, as a […]

Goddard Riverside mourns the passing of longtime supporter Mary Higgins Clark

Mary Higgins Clark is well known as the “Queen of Suspense.” One of the best-selling authors of all time, she wrote dozens of gripping tales that were loved around the world. At Goddard Riverside, however, she was equally renowned for her generosity. Besides donating to support our programs, Clark was the featured writer at multiple […]

Phelps House Tenant Testifies to Congress

On a recent afternoon, Geraldine Collins was sitting in the community room at Phelps House discussing her recent Congressional testimony. Suddenly a woman poked her head in the door. It was a fellow tenant who didn’t like the way her new showerhead had been installed. “Did you put in a work order?” Collins asked. “Okay, […]