Entering 20th Year, East End Disabilities Looking For Way To See 20 More

Facing a decline in federal and state funding in recent years while running a program that continues to expand, recently hosted friends, guests, employees, and benefactors at its annual gala at Lombardi's on the Sound.

The sold-out "friend-raiser," as Chief Executive Officer Lisa Meyer-Fertal called the event, saw over 220 individuals get on the dance floor, bid in the auctions, and enjoy the view from Lombardi's back deck.

And they came at a time when the developmental disability non-profit could use the assistance and increase in awareness at a critical time in its 20-year history.

"I think these are much, much more important than they were years ago," said Chief Financial Officer Jim Martinsen. "Fundraisers years ago - they added quality of life to the guys. We were able to do more. But now they've become critical to the point where we need them to just keep the appropriate staff and do day-to-day activities that we were doing before. That's how much cutbacks there are."

Martinsen pointed to a 10 percent cut in Medicaid last year that hit EEDA quite hard, as the group's $10 million operating budget is 98 percent funded by the federal and state health program. Events such as the gala at Lombardi's, and long-term fundraising efforts such as annuities and trusts will become integral to the organization's ability to offer its programs, he said.

Meyer-Fertal started EEDA 20 years ago after seeing a dearth of home health services on the East End for families seeking help for individuals with developmental disabilities. "Out of frustration," the former nurse and mother of an autistic son wrote two grants to a state agency offering funds to start-up respite and after-school programs. She was awarded $75,000, and so EEDA began.

Meyer-Fertal met Martinsen shortly after, and EEDA has grown to support over 600 individuals between adult programs, kids' programs, day programs, residential programs, a crisis house, and more. The group recently took over a home on Corwin Street in Riverhead formerly run by the state.

While the residential settings - Individual Residential Alternatives, as the group calls the program - allow developmentally disabled individuals to live in their own homes with a full-time support staff, sometimes new homes aren't always easy for neighbors to welcome into the community.

"Sometimes people get in an uproar," said Gus Lagoumis, director of program operations with EEDA. "It turns into an adversarial thing quick which is unfortunate. But usually we're under the microscope for a year or so and then people realize we don't do any damage. We're far from perfect, but I think we do a pretty good job being good neighbors. What it comes down to is we can't give people the quality of life they deserve if they don't get out into the community."

The organization also places individuals in independent home settings, though they may remain part of the group's day-habilitiation programs. Mike Bultonow is one such person.

Bultonow, 48, lived with his parents until they passed away in the 1990s, then moving in with his brother. After a couple of years, EEDA was able to find Bultonow a single apartment where he lives with his two cats now.

Meyer-Fertal said the group of people EEDA serves can be a tough one to fund raise for, nevermind move into a neighborhood. She added that changes in Medicaid reimbursements in coming years will make it even more difficult for the group to recoup costs - or could require changes in how the group provides its services.

"How do I put this? We're not kittens," she said.

At the Lombardi's fundraiser, the group brought in a live auctioneer for the first time ever at one of its fundraisers. Despite the chalenging environment, within a span of less than five minutes, over $7,000 had been raised for the group's annual getaway to Winter's Clove, in the Catskill Mountains.

"More importantly, I think these give people an awareness about what we do," Martinsen said.