Exodus Supreme performs at Monroe College students October 2003. Photos: Sherry Bruck

For thirty -four years, HAI has offered individuals living with disabilities, seniors and frail elderly individuals opportunities to enjoy live arts events. HAI's track record of reaching an audience of over 10.6 million has been made possible through government contracts, supplemented by private support. In an effort to buoy the Agency's financial self-sufficiency and to ensure the continuation and expansion of services, On-Site Program Director Patty Reitkopf has developed a new Fee For Service (FFS) program. Preliminary ventures suggest that a formal campaign to target private educational institutions, corporations, government agencies and health service providers for FFS will produce a reliable new revenue stream for HAI.

FFS clients are offered:

1) cultural events and educational workshops using HAI's vast artist roster, which currently includes over 1,000 culturally and artistically diverse performing artists; they are selected through auditions and reviewed by facility staff and client feedback;

2) HAI's arts management expertise, having booked over 47,000 live music, dance and theater events;

3) top-notch artists who greatly discount their individual fee to accommodate HAI's charitable mission;

4) active full-time staff with support services and technical equipment on hand; and

5) the prestige of contracting with a nonprofit social service organization that will subsequently utilize the revenue to provide high quality services to New York's underserved populations.

Monroe College, a recent FFS client, has contracted with HAI for a series of world music performances at its Bronx and New Rochelle campuses. The "performance was excellent and achieved our goal of bringing more culture and music to the campuses. We are looking forward to future performances," said Mark Sonnenstein at Monroe's Office of Student Services. The series began in October with a performance by steel drum musician Ricardo Greenaway. Keeping with the world music theme, HAI brought Monroe the trio Exodus Supreme, which performed a variety of soul, Reggae and Caribbean standards before an audience of delighted students (pictured above).

At the Leewood Golf Club in Eastchester, New York, HAI performing artist Orlando Marin made a great impression at another FFS event. Club General Manager Mario DiPreta affirmed that it is "an added bonus to know that part of the fee charged will support HAI's mission of providing arts and cultural opportunities to New York's disabled, disenfranchised and underserved audiences."