The CIL honors those who lost their lives on this day in 2001, as well as those who served earnestly, and the families and friends who are still learning to live with this.
“If we learn anything from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.” Sandy Dahl, wife of Flight 93 pilot Jason Dahl.
By popular demand, Independence and Opportunity Network of Gainesville (ION) will be piloting a return to in-person bingo for young adults with disabilities this month, and the CIL will be hosting!
HEROES volunteers from UF will return to help assist with the event, and additional CIL volunteers have offered to show their support as well. Thank you volunteers!!
Please check out the dates, times and details below for September Bingo, either in-person or online via Zoom. Feel free to join us for both if you’d like!
Please contact Trish Thoburn at iongainesville@gmail.com or call at 352-339-6278 with any questions or concerns, and feel free to share with other young adults who might be interested.
ID: Bingo flyer that includes all of the information listed above, with a colorful border containing bingo cards in the bottom left corner and numbered bingo balls in the remaining corners. The ION logo is centered up top, the CIL logo is to the upper right and the HEROES logo is towards the bottom left.
On September 20th, 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 10th 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://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 3rd year in a row! All funds raised through this event will benefit our Marion County consumers. Join us from Tuesday, September 20th at 10am to Wednesday, September 21st 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.
