Balance aims to celebrate 30 years by burning mortgages

Balance Inc. has been serving people with developmental disabilities in Ozaukee County since 1991, and by November the Grafton-based organization hopes to have raised $300,000 to help pay off the mortgages on its eight adult family homes.

“Our 30th anniversary campaign goal will give us a significant budget, and we would use the money for quality of life enhancements,” Erin Petersen, the non-profit organization’s director of adult family homes, said. “The homes are like any homes, they require care and maintenance like new windows or a dishwasher.”

Typically, Balance’s annual appeals goal is $30,000 to $42,000, but Director of Development and Marketing Karen Cohen said the organization wants to increase fundraising this year to cover mortgage expenses and other costs at its eight houses in Grafton, Port Washington and Saukville.

“We really need the help of local corporations and individuals to help keep our mission going for another 30 years,” she said.

Petersen said there is a significant difference in the way Balance and for-profit organizations fund their homes. For-profit status allows for negotiation in reimbursement rates with state care manager organizations, providing a higher level of funding to cover repairs and maintenance. Balance’s non-profit status barely covers its costs and requires the organization to fundraise for repairs and home maintenance.

“The homes continue to age and require updates for health, safety and accessibility,” Cohen said.

Balance is currently renovating one of its homes on West Fransee Lane in Saukville.

“It’s one of Balance’s older homes that is in need of significant remodeling because it is well-worn with growing safety concerns,” Petersen said.

“We are committed to maintaining our adult family homes in a manner consistent with the quality standards of their neighborhoods. Our homes are warm, inviting and clean, and we use volunteers and staff to repair all we can.”

Balance is also in need of more employees and volunteers to help support its 25 residents.

In addition to its adult family homes, Balance offers programs that support more than 200 clients and their families. Cohen said the coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on some the organization’s day programming activities.

“Volunteerism is a huge part of our mission, where we work with eight to 10 community partners like churches and food pantries,” she said. “That has been curtailed but we are hoping to return to volunteering in the summer.”

Petersen said last Easter was particularly difficult for many residents and their families because they could not be together because of health protocols.

“Easter was the first holiday we went through in the pandemic, but we were able to set up Zoom for their families and simulate some activities like meals and egg hunts,” she said.

Due to the growing population of adults with developmental disabilities, Balance hopes to raise enough money to open more houses, Executive Director and CEO John Luhr said.

“Balance Adult Family Homes play an important role in the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities because of the home-like experience not found anywhere else,” he said.

“Balance is committed to maintaining our current homes and adding additional homes to provide for this very basic need of having a home.”