Rising Ground, a 195-year-old human-services nonprofit with deep roots across New York City and Westchester, is preparing a major round of job cuts that will ripple from the Bronx to Broadway. The organization has notified state officials that 257 positions are slated to be eliminated beginning May 21, 2026.
According to the New York State Department of Labor, Rising Ground filed a formal WARN notice in February listing nine affected locations and setting May 21, 2026 as the effective date for the layoffs. The filing also triggers outreach from the state’s Rapid Response team, which offers workers help with job searches, unemployment benefits and other support.
Which sites will be affected
As reported by WhatNow, the notice breaks out the cuts site by site, adding up to 257 jobs:
- 68 employees at 4433 Third Avenue in the Bronx
- 43 at 32-16 36th Street in Queens
- 29 at 525 Dean Street in Brooklyn
- 29 at 463 Hawthorne Avenue in Yonkers
- 27 at 36 Herriot Street in Yonkers
- 24 at 535 Bergen Street in Brooklyn
- 17 at 151 Lawrence Street in Brooklyn
- 15 at 317 Lenox Avenue in Harlem
- 5 at 1333 Broadway in Manhattan
All told, that is a sizable slice of the nonprofit’s workforce, spread across multiple boroughs and into Westchester.
Rising Ground's scale and services
Rising Ground traces its history back to 1831 and says it now runs more than 101 programs at 143 sites, employing roughly 2,000 people across New York City and Westchester. In a March 2026 anniversary release, Rising Ground highlighted its child and family supports, mental-health services, residential care, and a range of community-based programs that together serve tens of thousands of New Yorkers each year.
“Our commitment to providing the city's most vulnerable remains unwavering,” CEO Alan Mucatel wrote in that release. The document also notes that the group recently opened a new administrative headquarters in Manhattan while maintaining major program hubs in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Harlem and Queens.
The WARN filing does not specify which departments, programs, or job titles are on the chopping block, and the nonprofit did not offer a public explanation for the reductions in the state notice, according to WhatNow. How hard services get hit will depend on which roles are ultimately eliminated.
What the WARN filing means
New York State Department of Labor guidance on the WARN Act requires covered employers to give workers at least 60 days' notice ahead of mass layoffs. The state’s Rapid Response program then steps in with reemployment services, workshops and benefits navigation support for those about to lose their jobs.
Rising Ground’s recent press materials list media contacts and organizational milestones but do not directly address the looming job cuts. This story may be updated if the nonprofit or city officials release additional details. For now, affected employees have the 60-day notice period to tap state Rapid Response resources before the May 21 effective date arrives.
