Are you passionate about the accessibility of COVID-19 vaccines? Apply now to share your thoughts as a part of our COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee (CVAC)!

The CVAC will serve as a team to provide ideas, feedback, and support for the CILNCF COVID-19 response. The CVAC members will be paid for their time, and expect to meet once a month from October-March. 

For more information or to apply, please email Emily Berndt at eberndt@cilncf.org or call 352-378-7474 ext. 2051. 

ID:  Graphic with white background and large, light blue talk bubble at the top with dark blue lettering that states, “Join our COVID-19 Advisory Committee”.  The bubble points to the CIL logo at the bottom left.  A dark blue rectangular shape is at the bottom right with white lettering inside that states, “Apply Now”, and a blue arrow at the bottom right of the shape is pointing towards it.

Do you want to give back and make a difference in someone’s life?  Join us Tuesday, September 20^th at 10am to Wednesday, September 21^st at 7pm for this 33-hour online fundraising event, #Give4Marion!  All funds raised through #Give4Marion will benefit our consumers who are seeking meaningful employment.  Check out our donation page and click on the link below to learn more about who we are, what we do and why we do it!

Give to Center for Independent Living of North Central | Give4Marion

Image Description: Light blue background up top and royal blue background at the bottom with banner image in the middle of the page showing a blue sky with white clouds, green tree tops, a lake surrounded by green grass, and a bridge with a person walking across.  The Give4Marion logo is in the middle of the banner image.  Red lettering is at the top that reads, “Get ready to give!”  And light blue lettering is at the bottom showing the Give4Marion website.

Vera, who is 88 years old, was having difficulty stepping up to get into her front entrance due to mobility issues and needed a small ramp to help her enter and exit her home safely. Our CORE Services Director, Mark Brisbane, got to work and made it happen to secure a new ramp for Vera. Now that she has a ramp with handrails, life is so much easier for her, and she is forever grateful for our help!

Image includes four pictures; the top two are before pictures of Vera’s front door area, top left showing one large step leading up to the front door, and top right shows the start of the building process. The bottom two are after pictures, bottom left showing the newly built wooden ramp with handrails, bottom right showing Vera walking up her new ramp.

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!

• Play bingo in person at the CIL on Friday, September 23^rd at 7pm
  • RSVP appreciated by e-mailing Trish Thoburn at iongainesville@gmail.com
  • $5 per person which includes pizza, drinks, dessert
  • Prizes are included
  • 222 SW 36th Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32607

• Play bingo online via Zoom on Friday, September 16^th at 7pm
  • If you are a regular player, you have your card and the zoom link!
  • If you are a new zoom player, reply by emailing Trish Thoburn at iongainesville@gmail.com by Thursday September 15^th at 9pm and she will send you the link and instructions
  • No charge for Zoom bingo

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 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.