ARISE, Exceptional Family Resources new name reflects the agency’s mission
By Stefan Yablonski
The merger between ARISE Inc. and Exceptional Family Resources was approved this spring by the NYS Attorney General’s Office. Earlier this summer, the agencies unveiled their new name and logo — Indera, Independence & Access for All.
“We merged ARISE and Exceptional Family Resources and going through the merger process, we have come up with a new name,” said Timothy Mahar, director of advancement for the agency. “It really reflects where we are going. Indera really stands for ‘independent era.’ The tag line is, Independence & Access for All.”
ARISE Inc. and EFR were both established in Syracuse in the 1970s, so this collaboration brings together nearly 100 years of service, along with a staff of 1,407 serving 24 counties, from Plattsburgh to Binghamton.
Indera will provide the same programs and services the agencies previously offered, just under a different name, Mahar said.
“But the name is more representative of this new combination and what we have become,” he explained. “So it is an exciting new chapter and I guess a new era.”
“Everything is the same. We still have the same staffs. We have the same programs,” he said. “This is just the name. The name has changed to reflect this next chapter. All the programming is still the same. All the staff is still the same. The locations are still all the same.”
By combining the two agencies, it allows them to more efficiently manage potentially reduced resources, expand access to government and funding opportunities and increase public awareness, Mahar added.
While the organization provides some services throughout the state, 85% to 90% of what they do is focused in Onondaga and Oswego counties, with some in Cayuga and Madison. Staff are in both the ARISE building on James Street and the EFR site on Le Moyne Avenue in Syracuse, as well as in Oswego, Fulton and Auburn.
“There is new signage going up at all of our sites,” Mahar said.
The agency offers advocacy services and programs for individuals with disabilities, enabling them to have a greater sense of independence and participation in their community.
The two entities together have “a much larger area where we can inform and really help our communities to understand what it means to empower people with disabilities instead of just supporting people with disabilities. It’s really helping people to stand up for themselves and create that advocacy environment,” said Nina Lutz, chief program officer for the living center. ARISE is the designated independent living center for Onondaga, Oswego, Madison and Cayuga counties.
Same Commitment
ARISE Inc., the longtime Syracuse-based nonprofit for individuals with disabilities, merged with Exceptional Family Resources to form a combined agency. Following a comprehensive rebranding, the combined organization officially adopted the name Indera.