News
September Highlights
Highlights of our staff and program accomplishments throughout September.
- On a recent sunny September day, Osborne and partner Camber Property Group broke ground on Chelsea Beacon, where New Yorkers returning from incarceration will soon find safe, stable supportive housing. Osborne’s second redevelopment of a former prison, the project has been championed by Governor Hochul, with funding from New York State Homes and Community Renewal and Empire State Development, and extraordinary enthusiasm and support from Manhattan Community Board 4. With the wisdom and guidance of our staff – many of whom have experienced incarceration themselves – the residents of Chelsea Beacon will have a team of champions behind them every step of the way when they enter their new homes in 2029.
- On September 12, Osborne was among the sponsors of “Attica Is All of Us,” a commemoration of the 55th anniversary of the Attica uprising that reflected on the ongoing harms of incarceration, and the need for healing, compassion, and freedom. As part of Climate Week NYC, Osborne’s Chief Program Officer Michelle Howard was a panelist at “Roots to Renewal: A Green Careers Reentry Summit,” co-convened by Fordham and John Jay, where she shared results from Osborne’s partnerships to advance green energy careers as a pathway for formerly incarcerated New Yorkers. Meanwhile, over in Brooklyn, the second cohort in our Green Energy Career Readiness program (pictured above) was nearing completion, with 12 participants taking part in a hands-on workshop focused on solar panel installation. And we thank the parishioners of the Church of St. James the Less in Scarsdale, who provided 25 backpacks filled to the brim with essential school supplies for young people in our programs.
- Osborne is actively seeking volunteers for Loved Ones Link, our free transportation program for families visiting incarcerated loved ones, with opportunities to serve as Bus Greeters or Bus Companions in The Bronx, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, or Syracuse. To learn more, contact us at lovedoneslink@osborneny.org. Also in Buffalo, we seek caring adults to serve as mentors to support young people ages 6–17 impacted by the incarceration of a parent or caregiver. This is a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie, Niagara & the Southern Tier. Think you’d be a good fit? Contact Demetrius Brooks to learn more.
- Osborne President and CEO Jon Monsalve has been named one of the Brooklyn Org 25, a recognition of “longtime and emerging community changemakers” from the borough’s community foundation. The group will be celebrated at the 2026 Changemakers Ball on October 28. Steuben Vega, Osborne’s Director of Workforce Development, is being recognized with an EL award from El Diario, the longest publishing Spanish-language daily newspaper in the United States. That celebration will be held October 9 in Manhattan.
- The New York Times featured a story with photos of the transformation of the former Bayview Prison into Chelsea Beacon, which was also the subject of an interview with Osborne’s Vice President for Housing Operations and Projects Christina Green on WBAI’s “On the Count.” Elijah, a member of the youth team organizing a month of activities for See Us, Support Us in October, was a guest on NYCLU’s podcast, where he discussed his family’s experience of incarceration. WKBW 7 News Buffalo recently highlighted Osborne’s mentoring partnership, featuring participant Nivayah and her mother Tanya reflecting on the relationship Nivayah has nurtured with her Big Sister.