18 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JUNE 2021
COVER FEATURE
RISE LIFE SERVICES STEPS
The word “rise” can be defined as an
upward movement or an increase from
one position to a higher one. At RISE
Life Services, led by Executive Director
Charles Evdos, the organization takes
on the true meaning of the word:
elevating the lives of the people they
serve.
RISE Life Services is a Riverhead-based
nonprofit organization serving those
with developmental and severe mental
illness. The organization focuses primarily
on the East End communities,
and provides more than 150 Long Islanders
with group home services, two
food pantries, and soon, an outpatient
clinic.
More than three decades ago, RISE Life
Services was founded to fill a void in services
to the disabled and mental health
communities. RISE sought a different
approach by providing services in areas
where local and state programs were
limited. By focusing on helping this
community thrive and live a fulfilling
life, the organization has emerged as an
industry leader in providing services
that can help change lives for the better.
Charles Evdos is the leader of this organization
and focuses on equipping it
best for generations to come. His professional
story begins as copy boy for
the New York Daily News, where he rose
through the ranks to become a reporter,
then an editor, and concluded a 12-year
career at New York’s picture newspaper
as business manager.
But, after more than a decade in journalism,
he sought to renew his life’s work
by helping others.
“I always knew that I wanted to help
others,” says Evdos. “So I said, ‘When
I retire from here, I’m going back to
work.’ My career has been built on
empowering others and making a difference
in their own lives.”
After leaving the News, Evdos transitioned
his professional skills and personability
into helping organizations
fundraise. His unique background
includes an accounting degree and also
owning his own business. In 1981, he
began a career in the nonprofit world,
where he says he was immediately
“hooked.” He excelled in his ability to
bring critical funding into the organizations
he supported, which made
him a sought-after asset in the world of
charity and philanthropy.
L. to R.: Mental Health Operations Director Cherita Brown, ICF Program Director Shavetta Crawford, Executive Director Charles
Evdos, Director of Day & Community Services JoAnn Vitale, and IRA Program Director Jeanette Permenter. (Photo by Bruce Adler)
Now, in the leadership role at RISE Life
Services, he continues to shine. Recently,
he threw one of the first post-Covid-19
fundraising galas, a historic occasion
which brought people from across Long
Island to the table to support RISE Life
Services’ core mission of helping others.
“Each person has a different life story,
and no matter your focus in the
nonprofit sector, the need is there, so
philanthropy, advocacy, and service
providing are ways where you can
make a difference in peoples’ lives, and
see an immediate return in the community
you serve,” Evdos says.
Beneath his leadership RISE Life Services
is expanding in size and scope of
its services. One that is of particular
emphasis is the Day Program Without
Walls.
The Day Program Without Walls, part
of the organization’s Main Street Connection,
began a little more than three
years ago with just two participants.
Now it serves more than 35 individuals,
offering them a myriad of activities in a
day program. The goal was to provide a
unique and bold strategy, empowering
individuals to build upon their current
skill set and participate in the essence of
the East End communities.
After expanding in 2020, the program
has the Northville Sensory Gardens,
which have aided in the program’s
growth and popularity. A barn is
being renovated at the site, which is
expected to even further revolutionize
the services that can be provided to the
individuals and has even brought buyins
from local public schools through
first-of-its-kind partnerships.
Hampton Bays High School and RISE
Life Services came together to embark
on a new partnership, where the special
education program at the local school
district can visit the gardens, plant and
seed, keep the grounds, and even care
for the animals.
“We couldn’t be more proud of this
program and its continued growth.
We believe it to be life-changing and
empowering to our individuals who
are building upon their skill set in the
interest of living the fullest of lives,”
Evdos says.
An additional service provided by the
organization is an Individualized Residential
Alternative Program, which
was launched in 1994. In conjunction
with, and licensed by, the New York
Office for People With Developmental
Disabilities, RISE currently operates 12
residences, each geared to the individual
needs of their residents.
Individuals in RISE’s IRA Program
are those with developmental disabilities
who are able to function in the
severe-to-moderate range. Each location
has between two and five housemates,
many of whom attend the day program,
but many others work five times a week.
The hallmark of the Individualized Residential
Alternative plan, Evdos says,
is its people-centered approach, where
the individual is the primary decision
maker, with assistance and guidance
from advocates, service coordinators,
families, professionals, and other positive
life influencers.
“This team here is the epitome of the expression,
‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts,’”
says Charles Evdos.
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