On September 20^th, you will have the chance to give and make a difference in our consumer’s lives!  All funds raised through #Give4Marion will benefit our consumers who are seeking meaningful employment.  Check out give4marion.org to stay updated, and be on the lookout for our donation page to be ready to give!

Image Description: Green grass background with and banner image in the middle of the page showing trees, green grass and a fence.  The Give4Marion logo is in the middle of the banner image.  White cursive lettering is at the top that reads, Ready to make a difference?  And white lettering is at the bottom showing the Give4Marion website.

Did you know that September 10^th is the peak of hurricane season?  It’s fast approaching, so now is the time to get an action plan in place for you and your family!

CIL Consumer Specialist, Kevin Towles, is hard at work to make sure all people with disabilities are informed and prepared for any upcoming storms.  He wanted to share a couple of links about the hurricane season so far and how to get a disaster plan in place.  Check them out below! 

https://www.nbc12.com/2022/08/31/2022-hurricane-season-off-quiet-start-above-average-season-still-forecast/

https://apps.floridadisaster.org/getaplan/

ID:  Picture of Kevin in his office at the Ocala CIL, reviewing emergency preparedness websites.  There are blue borders at the top and bottom that contain raindrops. 

Our CIL team works hard every day and now they get a chance to play!  Today the CIL will be closed, but we’ll be back open for business on Tuesday.  We hope everyone is having a safe and happy holiday weekend!

ID:  Dark blue background with “Happy Labor Day, from the” written in large text from the top to the lower middle, and below that is the CIL logo.  A white border surrounds the text and logo, with a white dot in each corner.  A video of a blue firework and sparkles plays behind the text and logo.

September is Deaf Awareness Month, and to help us celebrate, we are having 3 Independent Living Skills (ILS) classes. These will be taught by long time staff member Colleen Metcalf, who is Deaf and can share her unique perspective with everyone.

She will teach the following ILS groups on zoom, on the following dates from 10:30am to 12:00pm:

Wednesday, September 7 – Deaf History

Wednesday, September 14 – Deaf Culture

Wednesday, September 21 – Learning Simple Signs

To join the zoom meeting, please click on the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3523787474?pwd=Wk5lVUt6RzBNU0NhdFRtb0xLYjFpQT09

If the link above does not take you to the meeting – go to zoom.us, at the top on the right side, click on the button that says join a meeting, and enter the information below:

Meeting ID: 352 378 7474

Passcode: cilclass OR 425521

We hope to see you there!

ID:  Picture of Colleen at the Ocala office, smiling and standing in front of a TV monitor hanging on the wall.  She is pointing to the four images on the screen.  Two of them show wording, “Deaf Culture” and “ASL”, with two showing images of signing.

High School High Tech (HSHT) is ready to blast off for success this school year!  Last week, HSHT students at Williston High School had their first workshop of the school year.  They worked on setting goals they would like to accomplish by the end of the school year, by working on their ILP’s (Independent Living Plans), and doing a team building exercise, “The marshmallow challenge.”

We are so excited for the new school year and all that it will bring for our HSHT students! 

Image Description:  Four pictures taken at the HSHT workshop.  Top left is of HSHT Program Coordinator Drew Dees, conducting the workshop, top right is a HSHT student setting goals, bottom left is also of a HSHT student setting goals and bottom right is one of a completed marshmallow tower.

We’re getting over the hump of the workweek and continuing to spread the word about the James Patrick Memorial Work Incentive Personal Assistant Services (JP-PAS) Program! 

The JP-PAS Program truly changes lives by providing monthly stipends to qualified Floridians with disabilities who are employed and require personal assistance services for daily living. The Florida Association of Centers for Independent Living (FACIL) is always accepting applications for JP-PAS, so if you or anyone you know would benefit from this amazing program or if you would like to learn more and make a change in your life, please visit http://www.floridacils.org/pca-services-program.

Image description: Light blue background of the surface of the ocean. The top of the image reads: “The JP-PAS Personal Attendant Services and Employment Assistance Program” in large dark blue lettering. In the bottom center of the graphic, there is an illustration of a person in a wheelchair working at a computer on a desk in an office. The FACIL logo is in the center of the graphic on the left side and the JP-PAS logo is in the center on the right side. In between them is the program’s website, written in the above paragraph.

The Independent Life is a podcast where we explore the services, issues, ideas, and people who will empower you to become the best version of yourself imaginable, attain your goals for Living Independently, and to serve others to your fullest potential.

In this episode which dropped last week, our Executive Director and host, Tony Delisle, interviews Drew Dees, High School High Tech (HSHT) Program Coordinator.  They discuss details about the program, as well as the incredible impact HSHT makes on students with disabilities, as they navigate through high school and transition into post-secondary education or employment.

Please click on the link below to listen to this episode!

The Independent Life Podcast featuring HSHT

Image contains two pictures of Tony and Drew recording the podcast at the CIL, sitting in front of microphones.  The top picture is of them looking at the camera, smiling and giving a thumbs up.  The second picture is of them looking at each other and talking. 

The countdown continues and we are thrilled to be participating in Give4Marion for our 3^rd year in a row!  All funds raised through this event will benefit our Marion County consumers.  Join us from Tuesday, September 20^th at 10am to Wednesday, September 21^st at 7pm…33 hours of giving!  Check out give4marion.org to stay updated, and stay tuned for the CIL’s donation page which is coming soon!

Image Description: Blue sky background with layered mountain tops and a black border at the very bottom, showing the tops of trees in a forest.  The Give4Marion logo covers the top half of the image.  A green rectangular box covers the bottom half from left to right, and inside is white lettering that reads, Join Us and Give, Give4Marion.org.

Summer is winding down and everyone is already back to school!  Join us online for our weekly classes in September, which is Deaf Awareness Month and the CIL will be celebrating! 

In-person classes will hopefully resume this month, and we will keep you informed as updates occur.  In the meantime, online classes remain the same, with our Youth Leadership and Social Group on Tuesdays from 3:30-5pm and our Independence Hacks (ILS) on Wednesdays from 10:30 – 12pm.  For every class, the meeting username is 352-378-7474 and the password is cilclass!

Please be sure to share this with anyone who would like to participate, and contact Terri Poucher at 352-378-7474 or tpoucher@cilncf.org with any questions!

Image Description: Entire background is blue and orange paint strokes running from left to right, starting with blue and alternating colors all the way to the bottom. The CIL logo is at the top center and below the logo is a bright orange heading that reads, “September Online Calendar”.  Underneath to the left are green alligators with “Tuesdays” and “Wednesdays” inside, with blue text for Tuesday and bright orange text for Wednesday.  The class titles and meeting times are to the right, next to their corresponding weekday, and the meeting ID and password is written in dark orange text at the bottom of the image.   

This month, we wanted to highlight AgrAbility, our brand-new program that assists farmers with disabilities!

The Florida AgrAbility Program (FAP) is a brand-new collaboration between the University of Florida (UF) and the CIL!  The FAP is receiving funding from a USDA’s AgrAbility grant, and is the first AgrAbility award for the state of Florida. 

The CIL has a central role in the FAP serving farmers with all types of disabilities, to ensure they secure and sustain meaningful work in agriculture through:

• Offering worksite and home-based assessments.
• Providing Assistive Technologies.
• Modifying equipment and work sites.
• Restructuring farm tasks.
• Identifying resources and services that can aid their independence.
• Assisting with inclusion in their communities through offering social opportunities that are essential for a high quality of life.

We are honored by this opportunity to give back to Florida’s farmers and reach more people with disabilities who live throughout our rural communities! 

If you know of anyone who might benefit from this program, please contact us here at the CIL at 352-378-7474 or cilncf.org@gmail.com.

Image Description: Woodworker using a red clamp to secure a piece of wood to a workbench, wearing an orange hat, dark blue long-sleeved jacket and beige gloves. Piles of wood are in the background to the left, as well as a blue aluminum wood-beamed ceiling.