Blog & News

When you meet Lissette Barretto, you walk away impressed. “She’s mature beyond her years,” says Options counselor Amy Kirschenbaum. “I really enjoy talking with her. There’s a wisdom and a confidence you don’t always see in a high school senior.” Her college applications, however, were in danger of being overlooked—due to her difficulties four years […]

It’s a busy Tuesday morning at the Senior Center, and members begin arriving for lunch early. Today’s menu has a Latin flair—Stewed Chicken, Rice and Beans, Steamed Broccoli, and bananas—and everyone’s in the mood for a good meal and a chat at the communal dining tables. Meals are a daily focal point of social life […]

When Dr. Roderick L. Jones took the reins of Goddard Riverside on Feb. 13, it was a homecoming of sorts. Jones grew up in New York City before his work in community services took him farther afield —first to the Rochester area, and then to St. Louis, Missouri. “I grew up in the Cypress Hills […]

The Goddard Riverside Law Center rallied with other tenants’ rights organizations Wednesday at City Hall to press for expanded legislation to protect low-income New Yorkers from landlords who make their living conditions intolerable. “We all know the deal,” said the Law Project’s Ryan Dubois. “Landlords are harassing tenants to increase profitability.” Currently, many building owners […]

Getting older has its challenges—but Goddard Riverside’s older adult programs are here to help our community stay active, engaged and happy. One of those challenges is loneliness. New research suggests it isn’t just a source of emotional distress for older adults; it can actually pose a threat to their health. As The New York Times […]

It’s been a busy year at Goddard Riverside. More than 17,000 people came through our doors, and we’re proud to partner with each and every one of them to help them make their dreams a reality. Here are some of the highlights of 2016. In the spring we celebrated a revitalized Capitol Hall—one of our […]

Ask Heather Doss why she volunteers at the Goddard Riverside Book Fair, and she answers without hesitation. “It’s books!” she says. “I live, breathe, sweat and cry books.” Doss is standing in the main room of the Goddard Riverside Senior Center while all around her, volunteers flit to and fro with armloads of books, organizing […]

First-generation and low-income students face ever-growing obstacles on the road to a college degree. This week, Goddard Riverside’s Options Center co-hosted a Citywide Summit to make that road a little easier. The #DegreesNYC gathering, organized with Young Invincibles and GraduateNYC, drew some 140 people from across the education field, including students, counselors, representatives from colleges, […]

This fall, Goddard Riverside Community Center celebrates an extraordinary 30-year partnership with the publishing industry—one that has powered our anti-homelessness programs and profoundly shaped our growth as an organization. In 1987, the closure of psychiatric institutions, combined with a lack of affordable housing, left thousands of people homeless in New York City. Many wound up […]

As some 20 young people sort themselves into four groups at Goddard Riverside’s inaugural Performing Arts Camp, visiting dance instructor Carina Rubaja explains their assignment. “I’m going to say All Go or All Stop,” she says. “Or I might call your group number: One Go. Two Stop. Got it?” Everyone nods. “Thanks for listening!” Rubaja […]