Join us for a FREE presentation with the CIL and FAAST Program this month!  Enhance Vision representatives will be visiting our CIL office in Ocala to introduce their company, and demonstrate how to use their various devices for individuals with low vision.  The event will take place on Thursday, July 7^th from 11am to 12pm at 2760 SE 17^th Street, Suite 300, Ocala, FL.  We hope to see you there! 

For more information about this event or the FAAST Program, please contact Claudia Avendano in our Gainesville office at 352-378-7474 ext. 2100, or Brandon Palermo in our Ocala office at 352-368-3788 ext. 1012.

Image is the event flyer, with a colorful blue, yellow and dark pink border on the left and right side of the graphic.  Within the border colors, there are white and blue confetti and circle designs.  Wording on the flyer includes all of the information mentioned above.   

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

Within the past 6 years, people with disabilities were more of an after-thought when it came to preparing them for emergencies, and resources were extremely limited.  The CIL’s Emergency Preparedness Program helped to fill this gap, by consistently providing information and planning assistance to help people with disabilities prepare for emergencies.  We also work with organizations and emergency preparedness officials to help educate and train personnel for how best to assist people with disabilities in the event of emergencies, accommodations at shelters and more.

When Kevin Towles started working in our Emergency Preparedness Program, he was instrumental with creating partnerships and growing the program.  Every year, the CIL hosts Emergency Preparedness Expos in Marion and Alachua Counties, providing speakers and vendors to help educate people with disabilities about the steps they must take before, during and after an emergency. 

Also, when an emergency occurs, Kevin assists the EOC (Emergency Operations Center) within our local area and the state EOC.  Kevin states, “It is so important to me to help people with disabilities understand what is going on and also the government groups to understand where people with disabilities are coming from.  That is why we conduct events and participate in speaking opportunities to government agencies, to help them understand how we can work together, so that no one is left behind.”

Thanks so much to Kevin and our amazing Emergency Preparedness Team for helping people with disabilities gain even more independence throughout the seasons!

Please visit https://www.cilncf.org/emergency-preparedness/ for updated information, as well as the State of Florida Emergency Contacts listed by county.

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.  Please read Danny’s testimonial below about how the JP-PAS Program empowered him to live a more independent life.

“As a working individual with a 35-year SCI, finding the JP-PAS program has allowed me to plan for a different future. The financial assistance toward the burden of needing a personal care assistant is an immeasurable relief. As I enter into the 26^th year of my career, I can now actually foresee a day where I may be able to retire. The JP-PAS program has been a blessing I will always be thankful for!”

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:  Sky background, blue up top and white clouds in the middle and bottom of the image.  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 a picture of Danny.  He is smiling and sitting in his wheelchair at his desk in his office, with his computer in front of him, and a cherry colored desk hutch in the background.  It is covered with office supplies and personal mementos at the top.  Danny is wearing a blue polo shirt, with a white, black and blue diamond checkered pattern on the right side of the shirt.  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 CIL FAAST Program is working hard to spread the word about our new service! Earlier this month, our Assistive Technologies Specialist, Claudia Avendano, attended the Community Health and Information Fair at the Ft. White Community Center in Columbia County. Claudia provided information to interested participants about the FAAST Program as well as the CIL programs as a whole. Thank you so much Claudia for all of your hard work to make sure people with disabilities in our surrounding counties learn all about FAAST and the opportunities provided by the CIL!

We hope everyone is having a great day celebrating and enjoying precious time with their families!

Image Description:  White background with a graphic in the middle of a father holding his young son’s hand and looking down at him.  They are both walking away, showing their backs to the image.  The text “Happy Father’s Day!” is written up top with Happy in blue and Father’s Day in green.  There are two pink hearts, one to the left and one to the right of the father and son, as well as patches of tall green grass to the left and right of them by their feet and legs.  The text, “From all of us here at the CIL” is at the bottom, using the CIL logo in place of CIL.  

Richard Johnson recently received a new ramp, our second one built using our Amazing Give donations!  Mr. Johnson had this to say about receiving his new ramp:

“Mr. Mark the ramp is completed and it looks good!!! The guys did an excellent job!!  Thanks a Million, God Bless!”

Special thanks to CIL Core Services Director Mark Brisbane for all of his hard work in making these ramp builds happen!  You are awesome!

Image includes one before picture of the front of the Johnson home, showing the front porch with white fence and steps, and one after picture of the new wooden ramp to the left and new steps leading to the front door.

The JP-PAS Program continues to empower and make a difference for people with disabilities by providing monthly stipends to qualified Floridians who are employed and require personal assistance services for daily living.  Salim, pictured below, is a recipient of JP-PAS and had a wonderful opportunity to work for NASA.  Are you ready to reach for the stars?  Sign up for JP-PAS today!

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 is two pictures of Salim.  The picture to the left is Salim sitting in his wheelchair, with a large loading bay and Artemis logo in the background, wearing a name badge, beige long-sleeved oxford shirt with black pants.  The second picture is Salim sitting in his wheelchair with a launch pad and rocket in the background, wearing a blue oxford work shirt with blue sunglasses.

The CIL’s Housing Program continues to change lives with our Grace Marketplace partnership!  Please read a wonderful testimonial below from Grace’s Eric Davis!

Sean Riley and Moses Riley have a home!  The Riley family moved to Gainesville from Philadelphia, “because they have the best pediatric hospital in my opinion, they kept my son alive.”  Moses has a rare heart condition, which has caused the little man to have already undergone 2 heart surgeries; he will need more in the future.  Sean himself had a kidney transplant, “which went bad after my mother passed away.”  Sean is currently going to dialysis 3 times a week, while he awaits another transplant himself.  Every time we met, he always had a beautiful smile on his face and was always giving praise.  “I wish my mother was here to see this, she always told me to make sure to take care of Moses.”  It’s been an honor and privilege being of service to this amazing family!  “I thank you, so much.  God is good.  This is great!”

Eric, you are a rock star!  Thank you for this amazing partnership as we work together in our service to people with disabilities who are homeless in our community!

Image is a picture of (from left to right) Eric, Sean and Moses, standing in a neighborhood with trees and leaves in the background. They are all smiling and Sean is holding Moses in his arms.

Our first wheelchair ramp was recently built using our funds from Amazing Give donations!

David Hudson just received a new wheelchair ramp built by Custom Design Renovations!  David is a wheelchair user and due to his disability, he needed to rely on assistance from family members and friends for years, to help him in and out of his home.  Now that he has finally received a ramp, he has his independence back, and he feels so much better physically and mentally!

Thank you so much to all of our Amazing Give donors for your generous support, and helping us make a difference in David’s life!

Image Description:  One before picture (left) of the front of the Hudson home showing steps leading up to the front door, and one after picture (right) of the new wheelchair ramp constructed of wood with steps and a ramp leading to the front door.

Last week, the FAAST Program had its first vendor demonstration here at the CIL!  We were happy to host Parth Shah and Mohit Patil, Founders of Abilitare.  They both demonstrated how to use their hands-free computer access devices, the Abili Mouse, Abili Toolbar and Abili Switch.  These amazing products allow users to navigate a computer completely hands-free!  Everyone who attended enjoyed the presentation and also learned more about the FAAST Program from CIL Assistive Technologies Specialist, Claudia Avendano and CIL Consumer Specialist Brandon Palermo. 

To learn more about Abilitare and all it has to offer people with disabilities, please visit www.abilitare.com or reach out to Parth and Mohit at info@abilitare.com.

Image Description:  Graphic of five pictures from the FAAST event at the CIL.  At the top is Claudia (left) standing and talking about FAAST in the  CIL activity room, in front of a TV screen and rectangular table, with Brandon sitting at the right side of the table, top left is a picture of Mohit (left) and Parth (right) with Mohit holding the Abiltare box and Parth wearing headphones, top right is a picture of Parth (left) and Mohit (right) with the TV screen in between, giving their presentation, bottom left is a picture of Sada, trying out the device, wearing a black baseball cap with the hands-free device attached, and the bottom right is a picture of Claudia (left) and Brandon (sitting to the right) giving their presentation.