One non-profit in the Princeton area has stood the test of time while it continues to provide support and help to those with intellectual disabilities.
The non-profit organization Enable has been providing that support for 30 years and celebrated that achievement at the organization’s annual Masquerade Casino fundraising gala that was held on April 26 at the Mercer Oaks Clubhouse in West Windsor.
According to Enable officials, the mission of the organization is to help those living with intellectual or developmental disabilities live full and independent lives by providing the services needed to promote inclusion in the community.
“It is very endearing to me that the agency has survived this long and has grown,” said Lisa Coscia, CEO of Enable. “This organization is serving more and more people with a disability, which includes people with Autism spectrum disorder it is just an amazing evening tonight. The enthusiasm that the community shows for us with helping others is just very heart warming.”
She said the community has made the people they help feel like they are a part of the community.
“We have seen how people with mental disabilities were institutionalized and put away, to see how that has changed over thirty years and the how the community has embraced our folks is just great,” Coscia said.
She said the fundraising gala allows the organization to reach out to the community and allows the community to reach back out to them.
Enable provides community based recreation and volunteer activities, activities of daily living and residential assistance by having 21 group homes at the organizations disposal, according to officials.
“We need these extra funds from tonight to help us cover the cost of things that the state no longer covers. We are hoping to raise $40,000 through this event,” Coscia said.
During the evening event the non-profit honored April Sette a community advocate, Kenneth Falk a board member and also their corporate volunteer partner Bloomberg.
April Sette one of the honorees is the founder of New Jersey Buzz an online platform for news that has helped created community awareness about Enable, according to officials.
“I had never known anything about Enable until I became involved. When I started to tell the stories of the individuals they help I started to realize how much this organization does for people with mental disabilities,” she said. “What Enable does is allow them to be normal people in everyday living. This organization is so needed. I fell upon it accidentally and it has just been an amazing experience to see what they do.”
Sette became involved with the organization about a year ago.
Robyn Steinman the Chief Operating Officer of Enable said the fundraising gala is important for what allows the organization to do.
“What every we raise tonight goes back to our people we help,” she said. It is all about them. Getting them to do more activities and getting them into the community more.”
Steinman said helping others is in her heart and in the hearts of the staff at Enable.
“This gala is just fantastic we are celebrating 30 years of success and supporting new individuals every year. To see the growth and the amount of people we can service is just wonderful,” she said.
Domenic Sanginiti is the President of the Board of Trustees of Enable, he said they are able to help individuals with intellectual disabilities have more of a normal living experience.
“This gala is a culmination of a year long effort. This fundraising gala helps us enrich the lives of many people who have never had the opportunity to live like we do,” he said.
Enable is an organization based out of Princeton and located on 13 Roszel Rd.
For more information on the non-profit Enable, visit enablenj.org.
