Happy Monday! Our Wheelchair Ramp Building Program continues to make a difference in local lives!  Unfortunately, the CIL was faced with the inevitable decision to pause the program this past year, due to the many challenges of COVID, and was unable to build any wheelchair ramps for our consumers in need.  However, we are now happy to report that our ramp program is up and running again!

We recently completed three ramp builds in Live Oak, Jasper and Gainesville for Ms. Sylvia, Ms. Anissa and Mr. Edwin, who were all unable to leave their homes by themselves due to living with various health and physical disabilities.  Now that the ramp builds are complete, they feel so very blessed and thankful they can access their own homes and communities, attend important doctor’s appointments, and feel less isolated and more independent! 

Special thanks to Ben Amwake Home Solutions, Custom Design Renovations, and our team here at the CIL for doing an amazing job and working together to provide this much needed service for our consumers with disabilities! 

Happy 4th of July! We hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday with their loved ones.

Image description: Light gray background with red, white, and blue stars around the perimeter of the image. There is text in the middle that reads “Happy Fourth of July!! From all of us here at the CIL!” A moving graphic of white fireworks going off is behind the text. The CIL logo is in the bottom left.

This summer the CIL is presenting Youth Social Group all season on Tuesdays from 3:30PM-5:00PM for students with disabilities, for ages around 14-25. Everything can be reached on Zoom through the meeting ID: 352 378 7474 and password: cilclass
If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Terri Poucher at 352-378-7474 or tpoucher@cilncf.org.

Please check out our July online calendar! On Tuesday, Life and Society Hacks runs from 1:00PM-2:00PM and Youth Social Group runs from 3:30PM-5:00PM. On Wednesday, Independent Hacks (ILS) runs from 10:30AM-12:00PM. On Thursday, Job Hacks runs from 1:00PM-2:00PM. Everything can be reached on Zoom through the meeting ID: 352 378 7474 and password: cilclass
If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please contact Terri Poucher at 352-378-7474 or tpoucher@cilncf.org. For Empowering Life Hacks workshops, please contact Linda Butler at 352-378-7474 or lbutler@cilncf.org.

We hope all the fathers out there are enjoying a wonderful day with their families!

Image Description: Navy blue background on left with royal blue background on the right. There is text on the left side that reads, “The CIL would like to wish a Happy Father’s Day to every father out there!” The CIL logo is at the bottom left and there is an image of an adult and child walking together, holding hands and looking at each other.

Happy Pride Month! The CIL is celebrating to support the LGBTQ+ community in their continued quest to break down barriers! Please check out the attached links for additional information and history about Pride Month, as well as information about The Trevor Project, an organization that provides life-affirming services and counseling to youth who are LGBTQ+. They focus on suicide prevention and offer a 24/7 crisis line specifically for LGBTQ+ youth.

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

https://www.loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/about/

Image: Dark blue background with four sparkle graphics throughout. Rainbow graphics are at the top left and bottom right with the curved text, “Celebrate Pride” and “Love always wins” in the middle of that text. Center logo is at the bottom left.

The CIL hosted the 4^th Annual Marion County Disaster Preparedness Expo on Wednesday May 26^th. The theme for this year was about addressing Mental Health needs during COVID and it was a great success! The event featured interactive presentations from experts and various community based organizations and public agencies offering resources to participants. The COVID vaccine was also available to those who wanted it in a fully accessible environment. This year’s event marked the first time many people participated in a community event since the start of COVID and it was clearly uplifting for all those who attended.

Special thanks to all of our generous sponsors, presenters and vendors, who helped make this event possible for people with disabilities in our community. We are truly grateful for your support!

Vendors:  APD, Heart of Florida, Ocala Fire, Marion County Sheriff’s Department EOC, Shine/Elder Options, CARD from Gainesville, Ocala Electric, Supervisor of Elections, Champion for Champions, Florida License Bureau and Ocala Police Department.

Presenters:  Ocala Police, Chief Balken; Marion County Sheriff’s Department EOC, Robert Sullivan; Supervisor of Elections, Wesley Wilcox; APD, Dr. Kristin Korinko; Department of Health in Marion County, Jessie Driggers.

Many thanks to Kevin Towles and the entire CIL Expo planning committee for all of their hard work devoted towards hosting an event, with all the safe guards needed to keep everyone healthy!

(Image Description: The CIL logo is at the top center and logos of Expo sponsors are to the left, right and at the bottom: Pasta Faire, Herr’s, Developmental Service Trainers, Supervisor of Elections, Ocala Recreation & Parks and APD. Text in the middle reads, “The CIL would like to send a big thank you to our sponsors! For the 2021 Disaster Preparedness Expo.” An image of hands are below the text, surrounding a floating heart.) 

Please check out the following CIL calendars below for our June online ILS classes, Self-Advocacy Training, Pre-Placement Training, Youth Social Group and our new Empowering Life Hacks workshops! If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please contact Terri Poucher at 352-378-7474 or tpoucher@cilncf.org. For the Empowering Life Hacks workshops, please contact Linda Butler at 352-378-7474 or lbutler@cilncf.org.

Today we are remembering, honoring and sending much gratitude to all those who have served and sacrificed their lives for our country.

Hurricane season is fast approaching! To get ready, Florida’s hurricane sales tax holiday starts today, May 28th and runs through June 6th. You’ll be able to save money on several essential items needed for storm preparation.

Be sure to visit the link below for a full list of qualifying items!

http://floridarevenue.com/disasterprep