The PILLARS

What The PILLARS does

The PILLARS is a Harlem-based, OASAS-funded nonprofit operating as Manhattan's designated Recovery Community and Outreach Center (RCOC). Founded in November 2017 by Dr. Felecia Pullen with a $1.75 million grant from the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), the organization delivers free, holistic recovery programming to individuals and families affected by substance use disorder across Manhattan (Battery Park to Washington Heights). Service offerings are organized around four pillars - Self (yoga, meditation, acupuncture, reiki), Family (DV prevention, parenting skills), Community (Mental Health First Aid, AA/NA, SMART, volunteerism), and Society (OSHA training, computer classes, GED prep, NYIT-taught Python coding and career skills).

Operating from 289 Saint Nicholas Avenue (Lower Level) Monday through Friday, 10AM-3PM, the organization pairs in-person programming with free virtual classes (guided meditation, reiki, yoga, cooking, online Naloxone training via The REACH Program). A staff of roughly 13 includes the founder/CEO, an operations manager, programmatic consultants, and specialized instructors covering yoga, meditation, foot reflexology, tai chi, mixed martial movement, and DV prevention. The SAFETY Net youth initiative extends reach to at-risk Harlem teens. Academically, the organization runs a partnership with NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine providing free walk-in health screenings and a workforce development collaboration offering scholarships.

The business model is nonprofit community-led: all services are provided free to clients, with revenue composed of an OASAS core grant for Manhattan's RCOC designation, additional government grants, and charitable donations processed through the Squarespace website. No paid tiers, contracts, or fee-for-service revenue exist. Go-to-market is community-based - outreach through word-of-mouth, healthcare provider referrals, community events, blog content, and earned media (including a Netflix documentary feature). Customer concentration risk is structurally bound to OASAS as the dominant funder, while service demand comes from a diffuse base of recovery community members and their families in Manhattan.

Name

The PILLARS

Legal name

The PILLARS

Website

https://pillarsnyc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The PILLARS is Manhattan's OASAS-funded Recovery Community and Outreach Center, founded in 2017 in Harlem. It delivers free holistic recovery services - including yoga, meditation, acupuncture, peer support, and workforce development - to individuals and families affected by substance use disorder across Manhattan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Addiction Recovery Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (62142)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

Keywords

• Addiction recovery services
• Holistic wellness programs
• Recovery community center
• Workforce development training
• Substance use support

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. OASAS Funding: Primary funding from the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) as Manhattan's designated Recovery Community and Outreach Center.
2. Donations: The organization accepts charitable donations through its website for operational support.
3. Government Grants: Governor Cuomo announced a $1.75 million investment for the opening of the Pillars Recovery Center.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The PILLARS provides free, holistic recovery services for individuals recovering from substance use disorder and their families in Manhattan. Its core offering spans four pillars—Self (yoga, meditation, acupuncture, reiki, acupressure), Family (DV prevention, parenting skills), Community (Mental Health First Aid, AA/NA meetings, volunteerism), and Society (OSHA training, computer classes, GED prep, Python coding). All programs are delivered at no cost, either in-person at the Harlem center or through virtual online classes.

Product overview

The PILLARS is Manhattan's Recovery Community and Outreach Center, funded by the Office of Addiction Services and Support (OASAS), offering a holistic approach to recovery from substance use disorder. The organization provides a comprehensive suite of free services organized around four pillars: Self (wellness practices), Family (support programs), Community (engagement opportunities), and Society (workforce development). Services include yoga, meditation, acupuncture, reiki, acupressure, domestic violence prevention, parenting skills, Mental Health First Aid training, AA/NA meetings, OSHA training, computer classes, GED prep, and youth programming through The SAFETY Net. The center serves individuals and families across Manhattan, from Battery Park to Washington Heights, providing both in-person and virtual programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SAFE in Harlem: Substance abuse prevention organization for teens and youth, also founded by Dr. Felecia Pullen
• The SAFETY Net
• The SAFETY Net (Teen Program)

Products and services

• Holistic Recovery Services (Self Pillar) Comprehensive holistic recovery programming including yoga, meditation, acupuncture, reiki, and acupressure designed to support individuals in recovery from substance use disorder through mind-body-spirit wellness practices, with personalized recovery coaching.
• Family Support Programs (Family Pillar) Domestic violence prevention education, parenting skills classes, and support groups including Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA) meetings designed to strengthen family connections and support healthy family dynamics during recovery.
• Community Engagement Programs (Community Pillar) Mental Health First Aid training, AA/NA meeting facilitation, SMART meetings, and volunteer opportunities supporting community recovery and peer support networks.
• Workforce Development & Vocational Training (Society Pillar) OSHA training, computer classes, GED preparation, and recovery advocacy training integrating personal values and abilities with opportunities for financial sustainability.
• The SAFETY Net (Teen Program) Teen-led clubhouse program focused on encouraging youth authenticity through education support, health and wellness initiatives, prevention and recovery services, and social activities for at-risk youth in Harlem.
• Computer Lab Access Free computer lab access for job searching, resume building, online classes, and educational purposes, available Tuesday through Thursday at the Harlem center.
• Workforce Development Classes (NYIT Partnership) Career Skills, Financial Wellness, Building Everyday Technology Skills, and Python Coding courses taught by college professors from NYIT, with scholarships awarded to community members (5 women and single mothers received NYIT Python Coding Course scholarships).
• Free Health Screenings Free health screenings provided through partnership with NYIT's College of Osteopathic Medicine, available to anyone walking through the center's doors.
• Virtual/Online Recovery Resources Free virtual guided practices including meditation, reiki, yoga, dance and movement, strength training, and cooking classes available through the website's virtual resources section, plus online Naloxone training.
• Naloxone Training Training program through The REACH Program equipping community members to respond to overdoses; required for all CROO members at The PILLARS.
• 12-Step Program Support Meetings Support groups including AA, NA, and Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA) meetings held at the center to support individuals in recovery.
• SMART Recovery Meetings Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART) meetings providing alternative peer recovery support options to traditional 12-step programs.
• Sober Parenting Journey Support program for parents in recovery focusing on building parenting skills while maintaining sobriety.
• Love Yourself, Love Your Baby Program Eight-week holistic program for pregnant women offering yoga, meditation, and acupressure to manage stress and support healthy pregnancies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving individuals and families across entire Manhattan island (Battery Park to Washington Heights)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OASAS (Office of Addiction Services and Supports)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOASAS is the primary funder of The PILLARS as Manhattan's designated Recovery Community and Outreach Center. This is a government partnership providing core operational funding and legitimizing the organization as part of NYC's addiction recovery infrastructure.
• NYIT (New York Institute of Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollege professors from NYIT teach workforce development classes including Career Skills, Financial Wellness, Building Everyday Technology Skills, and Python Coding at The PILLARS. The partnership provides scholarships for community members.
• Let's Talk SAFETYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Felecia Pullen founded both The PILLARS and Let's Talk SAFETY. The organizations work together on substance abuse prevention, particularly for teens and youth in the Harlem community.
• The REACH ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Naloxone training at The PILLARS, equipping community members to respond to overdoses. All CROO members are required to be Naloxone trained through this partnership.
• SAFE in HarlemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Dr. Felecia Pullen, SAFE in Harlem focuses on domestic violence prevention and community safety. The organizations share leadership and collaborate on community wellness initiatives.
• NYIT College of Osteopathic MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership announced in 2018 to launch a free clinic providing health screenings to anyone who walks through The PILLARS doors.
• Children's Aid Society NYCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Asari Offiong previously worked at Children's Aid Society where she specialized in substance abuse prevention among at-promise adolescents, managing programs for over 2,000 youth.
• Firelight MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured in Firelight Media's Beyond Resilience Panel, increasing visibility for The PILLARS mission in recovery community spaces.
• Lincoln Recovery Center (South Bronx)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentors from Lincoln Recovery Center provided training in auricular acupressure techniques that The PILLARS uses with its members.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Young People in Recovery: National non-profit building recovery-focused communities for young people, with chapter-based programming comparable to The PILLARS' SAFETY Net youth initiative—same demographic focus (young adults in recovery) and community-led operating model.
• Faces & Voices of Recovery: National recovery community advocacy organization that supports the development of local recovery community organizations like The PILLARS, with overlapping focus on peer recovery support, advocacy, and reducing stigma around substance use disorder.
• SMART Recovery: Non-profit alternative to 12-step programs offering mutual-support meetings that The PILLARS itself hosts on-site (SMART Meetings), with similar peer-led, science-based recovery support philosophy.
• Oxford House: National network of self-run sober living homes and recovery support, comparable in non-profit, community-led ethos but focused on residential sober living rather than community-center services.
• CCAR (Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery): CCAR is a recovery community organization that pioneered the peer-led Recovery Community Center model in Connecticut, providing many of the same services as The PILLARS (peer support, advocacy, family programs) under a similar non-profit structure funded by state agencies.
• The Phoenix: The Phoenix is a sober-active community offering free fitness, yoga, meditation, and social events to people in recovery—closely paralleling The PILLARS' holistic wellness programming model while operating as a multi-city non-profit.

Others

• SAFE in Harlem: Founder-led sister organization (also founded by Dr. Felecia Pullen) focused on domestic violence prevention and youth safety in Harlem; comparable community-led, Harlem-based mission but distinct service focus (DV prevention rather than SUD recovery).
• NYC Department of Health / OASAS: The New York State agency that funds The PILLARS and operates the broader public addiction services system in which the organization sits; comparable as an ecosystem participant and primary customer/funder rather than a competitive operator.

Broad incumbents

• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: Large, established addiction treatment provider offering clinical care, outpatient services, and recovery support at national scale—a broader incumbent operating in the same SUD/recovery space with greater resources and geographic footprint than The PILLARS.

Regional players

• Center for Recovery and Wellness (NYC): NYC-based outpatient recovery and wellness center providing comparable harm-reduction and peer-recovery services to underserved populations in the same New York City metro as The PILLARS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pillars-nyc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The PILLARS