Rep. Malliotakis announces $500K for Eden II School for Autistic Children

Eden II

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis and Joanne Gerenser, Executive Director of Eden II. (Courtesy Teresa Cirelli)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis has announced she helped secure $500,000 for the Eden II School for Autistic Children as part of the federal government’s appropriations process.

Eden II will use the funds to renovate an existing building to expand day habilitation services for adults with autism.

“For nearly 50 years, Eden II Programs have gone above and beyond to support people with autism by helping them achieve their full potential through a number of educational, residential, and day habilitation programs,” Malliotakis said. “Serving more than 500 individuals across the New York City and Long Island communities, Eden II has become a leader in helping participants and their families overcome many of the challenges associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

“As their programs and services continue to grow, access to more space has become a necessity. I’m proud to have secured federal funds for Eden II to physically expand its services to ensure adults with autism can continue to receive the high-quality day habilitation services they deserve.”

Eden II

Joanne Gerenser, Executive Director of Eden II Programs, left, Sherry Diamond, Malliotakis District Director, Tony Garcia, and Rep. Malliotakis. (Courtesy Teresa Cirelli)

Established in 1976, Eden II Programs began with just six students and one special education teacher. Today, the not-for-profit organization serves more than 500 participants in New York City and Long Island. The mission of Eden II Programs is to support people with autism through service, science and passion so they may achieve their full potential throughout their lives.

Dr. Joanne Gerenser, Executive Director of Eden II Programs, said, “Eden II’s aging autism population has specific needs that are not currently being adequately addressed. We will now be able to create a new program that will provide these invaluable resources to the autism community and also include seniors without autism to truly create a unique and integrated setting.

“We also plan to include several other local nonprofit organizations to inspire more community partnerships, enhanced collaborations, and meaningful vocational training opportunities.”

Eden II

Joanne Gerenser, Executive Director of Eden II, left, and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. (Courtesy Teresa Cirelli)

Eden II Programs provide a variety of services using the evidence-based principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) to treat the delays and challenges associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Eden II is recognized nationally as a leader in working with individuals across the autism spectrum, including those with the most significant challenges.

Teresa Cirelli, Director of Development of Eden II Programs, added, “We are so grateful for Congress member Nicole Malliotakis’s support for the autism community and for specifically advocating for Eden II’s senior based programming. The generous funding allocation will allow for increased space so that we can expand our programs, serve more seniors with autism, and address the growing needs of the aging population.”

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