Rising Ground to Open a New Trauma Recovery Center
Supporting Survivors of Violent Crime in East Flatbush

Grand Opening celebration to be held on
Wednesday, March 19 at 10:30 am at 3521 Church Avenue

Rising Ground will open a new Trauma Recovery Center (TRC) at 3521 Church Avenue in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn focused on providing support, including mental health services, to victims of violent crime.

Rising Ground’s East Flatbush TRC was launched in August 2023 providing services virtually and in the community. To date it has supported 160 survivors. The opening of the new physical location at 3521 Church Avenue will allow the TRC to expand its reach in the community and provide on-site care. Led by Director Gerardine Cadet Mareus, the East Flatbush TRC houses three therapists, a community support coordinator, and a holistic healer. Services are available in Haitian Creole, Spanish, and English. The TRC can also provide onsite childcare for clients in session.

Read the full Press Release here.

View TRC Flyer & Referral code here.

Coverage of our historic statue move, a tour of our new admin head office, a preview of our Gala, and raising awareness of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, and more is featured in our February 2025 newseletter.

Read the full enewsletter online here.

Rising Ground, a trusted and longstanding human services nonprofit at the forefront of meeting the critical needs of New Yorkers, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rakesh (Rick) Jain and Dr. Colleen Griffin Wagner to its Board of Directors. Mr. Jain is a Manhattan-based Partner and Global Head of Private Credit at investment firm Pantheon. He is also a member of the firm’s global credit and international investment committees. Dr. Griffin Wagner is Vice President for Residential, Adolescent, & IDD Services at the Center for Family Services that provides services throughout New Jersey.

“It is my pleasure to welcome Rick Jain and Colleen Griffin Wagner to Rising Ground,” said Matt Del Percio, President of the Board of Directors. “For nonprofits to operate at their best, they require a committed and engaged board, and both Mr. Jain and Dr. Griffin Wagner bring to us a wealth of knowledge, professional expertise, and a mission-driven focus. They will help us to continue our vital life-affirming work providing children, adults, and families in the New York City area with the resources and skills needed to rise above adversity and positively direct their lives.”

Mr. Jain said: “I’m honored and grateful to have the opportunity to work closely with the team and Board members at Rising Ground. Having worked in New York City for over 30 years now, I’m especially excited to contribute to the vital work being done to support mental and health-related services for local children and families. Rising Ground’s commitment to improving lives and fostering well-being is truly inspiring.”

Dr. Griffin Wagner said: “I have been impressed by Rising Ground’s robust offering of services and programs serving the most vulnerable children, adults, and families across New York City. There is a passionate commitment by the Board of Directors to support a network of over 2,100 dedicated staff in delivering high quality services as a force for positive change for the individuals we support and advocate for. I look forward to joining this competent, compassionate, and skilled group of individuals to further the mission of this remarkable organization.” 

###

Rakesh (Rick) Jain is a Partner and the Global Head of Private Credit at Pantheon and a member of the firm’s global credit and international investment committees. Since joining the firm in 2019 to build and lead the firm’s dedicated private credit strategy, the business has grown to become one of the largest providers of credit secondary solutions capital to private credit fund managers and investors globally. Throughout his career prior to Pantheon, Rick gained experience as a direct credit investor across a range of strategies, including unsponsored and sponsored direct lending, special situations and distressed, asset-based finance, specialty finance, mezzanine, and control/minority private equity. Previous roles include as a Managing Director and investment committee member at private credit firms including Stone Tower Capital (acquired by Apollo), Star Mountain Capital and Citigroup Alternative Investments. Rick began his career in the Financial Institutions Group at Morgan Stanley. A native of Toronto, Rick received a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance (Honors) from McGill University.

Dr. Colleen Griffin Wagner, Ph.D., LMHC, LPC, ACS, NCC is a Licensed Counselor with a PhD in Mental Health Counseling.  Dr Wagner is an adjunct Professor of Psychology at Pace University and currently serves as the Vice President of Adolescent, Residential, and IDD services for Center for Family Services, a leading non-profit social services provider throughout New Jersey.  Dr. Wagner has served as Executive Director of Guardian Adolescent, a detox and residential substance use treatment facility, Director at the Renfrew Center treating individuals with eating disorders, senior clinical staff at Westchester Medical Center’s acute inpatient Behavioral Health Center, and served as a Director at St. Christopher’s Inc., a Residential Treatment Center for adolescents with chronic behavioral, emotional and psychiatric challenges.  Dr. Wagner currently sits on the Board of Saint Joseph Medical Center Senior Housing Development Fund Corporations and Elizabeth Seton Children’s Foundation. Dr. Wagner served as a two-term elected Trustee for the Village of Pleasantville and was a previous board member for the Sisters of Charity of NY and Hudson Valley Bank Business Development & Foundation.  Dr. Wagner resides in Philadelphia, PA.

Moving our historic statues, raising awareness of Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and the latest issue of ‘Rising” feature in our January 2025 newsletter.

Read the full enewsletter online here.

Read about the impact of our Atlas program on young people’s lives and families, our upcoming Gala, and more in our Winter edition of “Rising.”

View the full newsletter here.

Bronze statues of Rising Ground founders John George Leake and Hon. John Watts, Jr. weighing 1,800 pounds each, to be moved to new home on January 29.

Read the full Press Release here.

Holiday giving, celebrating service, and ways to support Rising Ground’s work are featured in our December newsletter.

Read the full enewsletter online here.

Thanksgiving turkeys taking flight, preparing runaway and homeless young people for winter, and our holiday gift drive can be found in our November newsletter.

Read the full enewsletter online here.

Help Us Make the Holidays Brighter for Children & Families!

Our annual Holiday Gift Drive is in full swing! This drive is our biggest of the year and has an enormous impact on the children, young people, and families Rising Ground supports. For many, the toy or gift card they receive from Rising Ground is their only gift.

Providing toys to families with young children eases some of the financial burden the holidays places on them and this year the need is greater than ever. We aim to provide holiday cheer to over 3,500 children and youths. 

How to Help

You can contribute by purchasing toys and gift cards from our Amazon Wish-List. This list includes pre-selected appropriate gifts for different age groups.

We also accept toys purchased independently of the Amazon list.  If you have any questions about this year’s Holiday Gift Drive – including guidelines for what age groups we are buying toys for and what is appropriate – or know or companies or organizations that may wish to donate, please contact Sharon Pyle by email at SPyle@RisingGround.org or by phone at 212-437-3551.

Together, we can make the holidays brighter for children, youth, and families supported by Rising Ground throughout the city!

Thank you!

OPEN Impact Real Estate, a woman-owned commercial real estate services company specializing in nonprofit and corporate impact organizations, is proud to announce that Rising Ground Inc. has signed a 15-year lease for 27,147 square feet at 111 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY.  The new lease comprises the entire 20^th floor and part of the 19^th floor, respectively, and represents a significant milestone in Rising Ground’s ongoing mission to support children, families and communities throughout the New York City area.

Rising Ground, an established human services organization, has chosen 111 Livingston as a new home for its multi-program Brooklyn hub, where it will continue its impactful work in a modern, efficiently designed space.  The move comes at a tenant-favorable time in the Brooklyn office market, allowing the organization to secure a custom-designed space without out-of-pocket costs for construction, thanks to the landlord’s full, turnkey installation.

Stephen Powers, Lindsay Ornstein, Alexander Smith and Kendall Elliott of OPEN represented the tenant, Rising Ground Inc., in the transaction; ownership was represented in-house.  111 Livingston has a 24/7 lobby attendant and an on-site cogeneration plant that provides its own electricity, ensuring both convenience and reliability.

Although the terms of the lease remain undisclosed, asking rents at the building are in the upper $40-per-square-foot range.  Rising Ground is set to occupy the new space starting in Spring 2025.

“This strategic relocation is the result of a comprehensive portfolio analysis, consolidating Rising Ground’s administration staff into a singular Manhattan location while transitioning its Brooklyn space into a purposefully designed environment that supports both existing and expanded programs,” said Smith. “111 Livingston ensures that Rising Ground can continue its critical work, with a professional space that remains highly accessible for staff and visitors.”

Rising Ground’s new Brooklyn hub at 111 Livingston will serve as an essential center for the organization’s family and youth support programs. The design will include both administrative offices and client-facing spaces, ensuring the facility meets the needs of the community in a bright, modern environment.

This lease is another step in Rising Ground’s long-term commitment to the Greater New York City area, following their recent expansion with a 30,000-square-foot administrative headquarters at 1333 Broadway, and plans to consolidate additional Bronx locations moving forward. Earlier this year, Rising Ground settled into renovated program offices in Harlem, increasing its capacity to support more workers in a welcoming environment. It also has an expansive Queens hub in Jamaica and retains a presence in Westchester County. Rising Ground’s hubs are among its 143 locations where it will deliver more than $213 million in human services this year.

“We are delighted to sign this new, long-term lease for 111 Livingston in downtown Brooklyn,” said Rising Ground Chief Operating Officer, Lissa Southerland. “Over the past year we have invested resources to strengthen our organization and our capacity to deliver the highest quality of services, and this new space will allow us to continue to help Brooklyn children, adults, and families rise above adversity and find positive paths forward. We are grateful to OPEN Impact Real Estate for understanding our needs and successfully securing spaces that fit our needs.”

IMAGES: To view and download high-resolution images of 111 Livingston, please click this link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ahj51b0c9rjywyluoei63/111-Livingston-St-Brooklyn-NY-Primary-Photo-1-HighDefinition.jpg?rlkey=san3vw1nyt9juixxnuf763kky&st=kagbgzkp&dl=0

Stephen Powers headshot

Alex Smith headshot

Kendall Elliott headshot

OPEN Impact Real Estate (OPEN) is a certified woman-owned business that delivers a comprehensive range of commercial real estate brokerage and advisory services independently and in partnership with JLL.  As a woman-owned enterprise, OPEN is committed to delivering a comprehensive suite of services tailored to empower socially conscious, mission-driven organizations.  Renowned as the foremost expert in leveraging physical spaces as a catalyst for change and advancement, OPEN services a host of corporate clients and boasts the largest nonprofit practice in New York City, extending its impact across the United States.

In 2024, OPEN formed a partnership with leading commercial real estate and investment management company JLL.  OPEN Impact serves as JLL’s exclusive WBE partner in the Tri-State region and is a national WBE partner of the global real estate firm. For more information, please visit www.openregroup.com.