The CILNCF recently received some heartbreaking news.  Sadly, our sweet Delma lost her long-fought battle with Sickle Cell last week.  She was part of our CIL family for just over 3 years.  Delma had a kind and caring heart, and provided excellent service to our consumers, our ADA Paratransit Program and the CIL as a whole. 

Delma was incredibly dedicated and always went above and beyond to help in any way she could for our consumers in need.  While working from home, especially during the height of the pandemic, Delma often called consumers while lying down due to severe fatigue, or even worked on her laptop at lengthy doctor’s appointments.

Delma was an integral part of our CIL family, and it will never be the same without her.  All of us here at the CIL are sending many thoughts and prayers to her family during this very difficult time.  It is hard for us to imagine that we will not see her wonderful smile and demeanor, or hear her soft-spoken voice and caring words.  We will miss you dearly Delma! 

Image is a picture of Delma sitting in her office behind her desk, wearing a grey, short-sleeved top. She is holding up a massage certificate that she won in a raffle on our Staff Appreciation Day during the summer of 2019.

Happy Easter Greetings from the CIL!

Just sending a friendly April reminder 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, please visit http://www.floridacils.org/pca-services-program!

Image description: Purple background with the top of the image reading: “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 a man in a wheelchair smiling, and he is in the middle of a baseball field, with the scoreboard behind him in the distance. He is wearing an orange polo with a nametag and a black baseball cap. 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 is continuing to highlight one of our programs each month, in honor of our 40th year. For the month of April we are highlighting none other than our Wheelchair Ramp Building Program!

Check out our recent posts for success stories from consumers of this program as we gear up for The Amazing Give next week! And click the link below to listen to Executive Director, Tony Delisle, and Wheelchair Ramp Core Manager, Mark Brisbane, discuss the program’s legacy on the CILNCF podcast, The Independent Life!  

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2BnE6jsDZRShxlkr2PdgDO?si=UJwTwVZvQcWUNpw_H2xaDw

Background is purple and blue gradient with confetti lining the top and CIL Logo in bottom left corner wearing a party hat. Heading in top center reads: “April Highlight: Wheelchair Ramp Program” in large, capitalized, white font. Below is a collage of overlaying images of past wheelchair ramps and volunteers.

The Amazing Give will be here soon on Thursday, April 21st from 7am to 7pm! All donations will be used towards our Wheelchair Ramp Building Program and will make a difference in so many lives! Please show your support by sharing the CIL’s page link with your networks and donating if you are able:

CIL Amazing Give Donation Page

We are very happy to announce a Lunch Bunch Match opportunity during The Amazing Give!  Thanks to a $500 match from our generous sponsor, Infotech, all donations made from 12 – 1pm on April 21^st will be DOUBLED!  If you are planning to donate, and would like to make even more of a difference, please consider donating during this time!

Thank you for your support and stay tuned for more updates!

Image description: Pink, orange, and yellow background with the words “The Amazing Give” written in bold white letters in the center of the graphic. The date for the event, April 21st 2022 7 am – 7 pm” is written underneath it, followed by “save the date!”. The Community Foundation logo is in the bottom left corner and the CIL logo is in the bottom right corner.

A BIG THANK YOU to all of our awesome Marion County Emergency Preparedness Expo donors, sponsors, and vendors!! We couldn’t have done this without all of your support and we are so very grateful. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities in the Marion County community!

Donors: Marion Champ, Dunkin’ Donuts, Jimmy John’s, Domino’s Pizza, Pasta Faire, Brookdale Chambrel Pinecastle, Herr’s Chips, City of Ocala, Sam’s Club, Developmental Service Trainers, Supervisor of Elections and Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Vendors: Marion Sheriff’s Office, APD, City of Ocala, Election Center, Ocala Regional Medical Center, WAGS Animal Rescue, Ocala Police Department, Hearth of Florida, Developmental Service, Physician Partner’s, Guided Medicare, Marion Senior Services, Marion County Fire Department, FAAST, Island Doctors, Humana, Ultimate Health, Clay Electric Company and Public Works.

Image description: Pink, orange, and purple background with the words “Thank you!” at the top in a white and orange font and “to all of our awesome Marion County Expo donors, sponsors, and vendors!” written below it in a smaller white font. The CIL logo is centered at the bottom of the graphic.

The Amazing Give is now 2 WEEKS AWAY! Here is a recent story about our Wheelchair Ramp Building program that is our focus for this year’s fundraiser.

Julia is a member of the Gainesville community who uses a wheelchair due to her progressive disability. We built Julia a ramp when she stated that having one would give her the opportunity to come and go from her home as she pleases, and that she would feel much more independent and not have to rely on others to help her in and out of her home. Here is a picture of Julia’s ramp that was recently completed. She is forever grateful for the Center for Independent Living making her dream come true!

Ramps like these cannot exist without funding from people like you! Donations from The Amazing Give will go directly to assisting people with disabilities like Julia, who have been waiting months, if not years, for a ramp. Please help us spread the word and consider donating to this amazing cause!

Image Description: Light orange background with blue and green zigzag lines and the CIL logo in the bottom left corner. In the center is a photo of a small home with an extended wheelchair ramp. The photo is titled, “Julia’s Ramp” in large black letters in the bottom center.

It’s #ATAwarenessDay and the CIL is celebrating! TODAY the U.S. Senate will pass a resolution to shed important light and celebrate National Assistive Technology (AT) Awareness Day! The day honors people with disabilities who require AT to access their education, workplace, community and recreational activities. The day also recognizes the innovation of researchers and the complete dedication of AT specialists and program providers who operate AT programs across the US and Territories so that millions of individuals can acquire low-cost and often no-cost AT.

Learn more about AT programs, view the commemorative video, and celebrate AT! #ATAwarenessDay

ATAP Home Page: https://ataporg.org/
AT Awareness Day Video link: https://lnkd.in/dtqQ_fmb
AT3 Resources link (info on community living, education, employment, housing and transportation): https://lnkd.in/dX9ttQXT

Image description: Light blue background with the words “Happy #ATAwarenessDay!” in the center. The ATAP logo is in the top right corner and the CIL logo is in the bottom left corner. There are dark blue sparkles surrounding the letters in the center of the image.

For those of you in Alachua County, our first-ever Emergency Preparedness Expo for people with disabilities in Alachua County is less than two weeks away! It will take place on Thursday, April 14th, from 8:45AM-1:00PM at the Senior Recreation Center, here in Gainesville. For more information and to register, please click the link below and claim your seat for this exciting inaugural event. We hope to see you there!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/emergency-preparedness-for-people-with-disability-in-alachua-county-registration-185091091437

It might be April Fool’s, but this is no joke, the CIL’s 5th Annual Emergency Preparedness Expo for Marion County was a major success!

We had our best turnout yet and we look forward to having even greater attendance next year. Many thanks to our vendors, sponsors, venue hosts, and attendees! This accomplishment would not have been possible without all of your amazing support. We are already looking forward to next year! 

Image description: Light pink background featuring 4 pictures taken at the Marion Expo. The top left image is a picture of all the attendees sitting in blue chairs that are facing a stage. The bottom left image is a picture of two FAAST specialists standing and smiling behind a table covered in a blue tablecloth, brochures, and assistive technology devices. The bottom right image is a picture of Tony, the CIL Executive Director, and Ken Whitehead, Assistant Manager with the City of Ocala, standing and smiling in front of blue chairs and a stage. The CIL logo is in the top right corner of the graphic. 

Today marks 3 WEEKS before The Amazing Give! Read below to learn about the impact of the CIL’s Wheelchair Ramp Building Program in the Gainesville community.

A couple of years ago, Ms. Hill was unable to leave her home as she had no ramp access for her wheelchair. Ms. Hill struggles with balance issues and needs a wheelchair to remain mobile. Oftentimes, the unsafe instability of her back porch would cause her to fall and hurt herself, accumulating bruises and scrapes all over her body.

The CIL Wheelchair Ramp Building Program was able to provide a ramp for Ms. Hill, along with many other residents in the area. The convenience of having a wheelchair ramp in her backyard helped her feel less isolated and more independent in her own home, facts that bring the CIL a lot of pride. We want to continue being able to provide our community with safer ways in and out of their homes and with your help during The Amazing Give, we can fund several wheelchair ramp builds.

Check out our Amazing Give donation page to see where your donation dollars will go, by clicking on the link below!

https://www.theamazinggive.org/organizations/center-for-independent-living-of-north-central-florida

Image Description: Light pink background with the CIL logo in the bottom left corner. In the top left corner is an image of the entrance to Ms. Hill’s home, with text reading “Before” and a hot pink arrow pointing to the picture. In the bottom right corner is a larger image of the entrance to Ms. Hill’s home, this time with a wheelchair ramp, with text reading “After” and a hot pink arrow pointing to the picture.