We wanted to share another success story from our Employment Program! Please read below and enjoy!

CIL consumer, Melba, has recently been referred to the CIL for employment services. She used to be a school bus driver for the School Board of Alachua County. Now, Melba is interested in pursuing customer services, but her computer skills are very limited. CIL Employment Team member Muriel, learned about Santa Fe College’s Displaced Homemaker Program, where they offer computer courses for free. Muriel referred Melba to the program, and Melba did her part and contacted them.

Melba has been taking part in the program for about a month now, and she is really enjoying the computer course and has learned a lot. She so looks forward to attending the computer class. Melba rates herself at an 8 and states that she is very comfortable using the computer now. 

Great job Muriel and to the entire Employment Team for helping our consumers with disabilities gain more confidence and motivation as they pursue meaningful employment!

Image is a picture of Melba at the CIL in the lobby. She is standing in front of CIL brochures, smiling and wearing glasses and a red, long-sleeved shirt.

Big things are happening in the world of Durable Medical Equipment (DME) and Assistive Technology (AT)! Claudia and Sada have been hard at work collecting and distributing donations across Alachua county. They have recently received a large donation in Newberry, dropped off a wheelchair in Alachua, and collected a hospital bed here in Gainesville. 

Today, the hospital bed will be made available to a community member in Ocala, and we will have a new one coming in tomorrow! The donations are coming in as “FAAST” as they are going!! If you or someone you know needs DME or AT, or you would like to donate, please contact the Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida at 352-378-7474.

Images are of three pictures, the first picture is of Mr. Velazquez sitting in a wheelchair in the doorway of his home, with the new wheelchair in a box in front of him from the Wheelchair Foundation, the second picture is of CIL staff Eric (left) and Sada (right) standing behind various DME items and in front of a red truck with a U-Haul trailer connected to the back.  They are both smiling with their mouths open and Eric’s arms are outstretched. The third picture is of Eric (left) and Claudia (right) loading the donated hospital bed into the U-Haul trailer. Claudia is standing in the trailer and smiling and Eric is outside of the trailer in the back.

This hot summer is still going strong, so get out of the blazing heat and join us online for our weekly classes in August!  In-person classes will hopefully resume sometime 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 white beach sand, with the CIL Logo in the top center.  Below the CIL logo is a blue heading that reads, “August Online Calendar”.  Underneath to the left are yellow suns and rays with “Tuesdays” and “Wednesdays” inside.  The class titles and meeting times are to the right, next to their corresponding weekday, and the meeting ID and password is written at the bottom of the image.   

We’re continuing to spread the word and let everyone know that the Florida Association of Centers for Independent Living (FACIL) is still accepting applications for the James Patrick Memorial Work Incentive Personal Assistant Services and Employment Assistance (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. 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: Sunset background of blue at the top, fading into yellow, orange and red towards the bottom, with black hill tops at the very bottom. The top of the image reads: “The JP-PAS Personal Attendant Services and Employment Assistance Program” in large dark purple lettering. In the bottom center of the graphic, there is a stick figure illustration of a person in a wheelchair working at a computer. 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.

Get ready to give and save the date! Give4Marion is just 8 weeks away!

For the 3^rd year in a row, the CIL will be participating in #Give4Marion, an online community giving day that benefits so many local non-profit organizations in Ocala/Marion.  The event starts on Tuesday, September 20^th, 2022 at 10am until Wednesday, September 21^st at 7pm…a 33-hour giving campaign! 

All donations will directly benefit our Marion County consumers, so please visit give4marion.org for more information about how you can make a difference! 

Image Description: Give4Marion graphic with tall, green trees in the background and an individual in the foreground to the right, wearing a light blue shirt with white gloves, holding open a plastic bag, collecting plastic bottles from another individual wearing white gloves, who is not fully pictured.  The Give4Marion logo is at the top left, with Save The Date! in red lettering in the middle of the graphic.  A dark blue rectangular shape is at the bottom right, with white lettering inside that reads, Join Us and Give, Give4Marion, Give4Marion.org.

Happy 32^nd Anniversary of the ADA!!

In celebration of the 32^nd Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), our awesome Employment Director, Lauren Singleton, represented the CIL today at a local event!  The CIL was honored to have her serve as a panelist at the Alachua County, Florida and City of Gainesville Office of Equity and Inclusion’s Disability Awareness Virtual Webinar.

Lauren spoke about CIL services with a focus on Employment Services the CIL offers including Resume Building, Work Readiness Courses, Interview Practice, Work Ethics and Hygiene Counseling, Job Coaching, and Retention Services; as well as opportunities for our consumers in our programs, the challenges faced in employment, and the resources they develop and utilize to help our consumers maintain their employment.

Thank you so much Lauren for representing the CIL at this annual ADA event, and for all that you do to support people with disabilities in our community!

If anyone is interested in learning more about our Employment Services, please contact Lauren in our Ocala office at 352-368-3788 or lsingleton@cilncf.org.

Image is a picture of Lauren standing to the right of the CIL sign at the Ocala office.  She is smiling and wearing black pants with a white top that is patterned with black hexagon shapes.

We’re continuing to celebrate 40 years of service here at the CIL!  This month, we wanted to highlight our Employment Program!

Our Employment Team has done a fantastic job providing vocational evaluations, job readiness, on-the-job training (OJT), job coaching, placement and retention, especially throughout the challenges of the pandemic.  Please read an awesome Employment Success Story below, provided by Lauren Singleton, our Employment Director!

“Kayla was initially interested in an office/clerical OJT. When we met with Advent Health to see if any clerical OJTs could be done, they asked if there was interest in helping prep patient trays and working with their food systems. Kayla was hesitant, but took to it like a duck to water. She completed her OJT in just over 3 weeks, and then was immediately hired; in fact, they had a hire date the week she started her OJT because they were so impressed with her! Kayla has been officially working there since the end of February and absolutely loves it. She has fun interacting with the kitchen staff and patients, and went into this field starting off at $15/hour and access to full benefits at just 22 years old!”

The Employment Program works in concert with The Florida Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. If you have a disability and are seeking employment, you may be eligible for a variety of support services. Contact your local VR office to get started.

If you would like to learn more about our Employment Program here at the CIL, please contact Lauren Singleton in our Ocala office at 352-368-3788 or lsingleton@cilncf.org.

Special thanks to Lauren and the entire Employment Team for all of your hard work and dedication to ensure the success of both our consumers and business partners! 

Image is a picture of Kayla wearing a black uniform, blue gloves, light blue mask and work badge, standing to the left of stacks of patient trays.

Come celebrate the 32^nd Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with us!  The CIL will be a participating agency at the Alachua County, Florida and City of Gainesville Office of Equity and Inclusion’s Disability Awareness Virtual Event, taking place on Tuesday, July 26^th from 10am to 12pm. 

Join us for a panel discussion on employment regarding the challenges faced, and resources and opportunities available for persons with disabilities.  Participating agencies also include Goodwill Industries of North Florida, Disability Rights Florida, Florida Department of Education, Vocational Rehabilitation, and the UF Disability Resource Center.

To register, please click on the following link, or scan the QR code in the flyer.

Webinar Registration – Zoom

If you have a disability and need an accommodation in order to participate, please contact the Equal Opportunity Office at 352-374-5275 at least 2 business days prior to the event.  TDD users, please call 711 (Florida Relay Service).

Image Description:  Event flyer with white background containing all of the information listed above.  There is an picture at the top half of the flyer, of a ramp with railings leading up to a building.  The Alachua County, Florida and City of Gainesville logos are at the top left of the flyer, and the logos of all the participating agencies are displayed in the middle, with registration information below the logos.  An ADA logo, specifically created to celebrate 32 years, is at the bottom middle of the flyer with wording that states, Celebrate, Learn, Share, ADA32, 1990-2022, Americans with Disabilities Act.

The JP-PAS Program continues to change lives by providing monthly stipends to qualified Floridians with disabilities who are employed and require personal assistance services for daily living. 

JR has become empowered through gainful employment and being a participant in the JP-PAS Program!  Please read his testimonial below and consider all the possibilities about how the JP-PAS Program can empower YOU to live a more independent life.

“Are you working? Sitting on the sidelines of life and watching it go was very frustrating. The possibilities of a full and active life are endless through gainful employment! The JPPAS Program is a fantastic Florida tool to help you move from dependency to self-sufficiency, empowerment, and a world of choices. Try work, you might like it!”

If you or anyone you know would benefit from this amazing program or if you would like to learn more, please visit http://www.floridacils.org/pca-services-program!

Image description:  Two pictures of JR with a green background.  The top picture is a headshot of JR smiling and wearing glasses and a red shirt with a blue, checkered pattern suit jacket, and the bottom picture is a headshot of JR scuba diving, wearing his diving mask and breathing apparatus. 

The hurricane season is going strong, and our CIL Emergency Preparedness Team is making sure to keep our community informed! 😀

Last month, Andrea and Kevin attended the Hernando County Hurricane Expo. This event was open to all citizens of Hernando County. They connected with both partners and attendees to give them updated emergency information, as well as information on CIL services.

Thank you Andrea, Kevin and everyone who assists with Emergency Preparedness, for all you do to keep our communities safe and prepared!

Image is a picture of (from left to right), Andrea and Kevin tabling at the event.  They are standing behind the CIL table, that is covered with a blue tablecloth, with CIL brochures and giveaways, and the CIL banner is behind them.  Andrea is wearing a light grey CIL polo shirt with logo, and Kevin is wearing a white CIL t-shirt with logo.