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.

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 provides 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?fbclid=IwAR0H1StURztR9cQCX3KXhVKV-AK7pFI26MmSkcvXvlgHVmCGPwaT1sur270!

Image description: Image features a light green background that fades into a soft, sky blue towards the top. The top of the image reads: “Would you benefit from the JP-PAS Program?” in large black lettering. In the bottom center of the graphic, there is a picture of a man sitting down and smiling with a woman on the left of him leaning in and smiling. They are both wearing short sleeved white polos and the woman is wearing a bright pink hat. The FACIL logo is in the center of the graphic on the right side and the JP-PAS logo is in the center on the left-hand side. In between them is the program’s website, written in the above paragraph.

April showers will soon bring May flowers! Join us for weekly online classes in April!

Come and join us on Tuesdays for Youth Leadership & Social Group from 3:30-5 and on Wednesdays for Independence Hacks from 10:30-12:00. The meeting username is 352-378-7474 and the password is cilclass for every class, every week!
Please, share this with those who may wish to participate.

Image Description: Light blue and white background with orange and red clouds and CIL logo in top center. Beneath is a heading in dark blue font that reads: “April Online Calendar”. Underneath are two clouds with “Tuesdays” and “Wednesdays” in each cloud. The class titles and meeting times are next to their corresponding weekday and the meeting ID and password is written at the bottom of the image.

The CIL wanted to highlight the release of “Being Michelle”, a powerful documentary about a deaf woman with autism who survived incarceration and abuse and now uses her artwork to depict the trauma she survived and heal from her past. “Being Michelle” is available on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. There will be an in-person screening in Orlando, Florida on April 10^th and 14^th. If you have the time, try to make it! 

Check their website out! https://www.beingmichelle.com/

Image description: Michelle takes up most of the image and behind her, there is a field of green grass with one police car in the distance with it’s lights on. Michelle is wearing a bright pink shirt and glasses and she is holding up a drawing of herself that she made. The drawing covers up most of her face just below her glasses.  In the self-portrait, Michelle is wearing a pink shirt with leaves drawn onto it. The Orange Kite Productions and Thriving Roots Initiative logos are in the bottom left corner of the image.

Mark your calendars! The Amazing Give is only 4 WEEKS AWAY! The event will take place on April 21st from 7am to 7pm and we need your help! Please consider making a donation through our Amazing Give platform, so we can continue to make a difference in the lives of our consumers and people with disabilities who are in need of a wheelchair ramp!

Stay tuned for more information and success stories leading up to the event! #TheAmazingGive #spreadtheword

Image description: Light blue background with irregularly shaped colored circles around the border of the image. The circles are teal, pink, blue, lavender, and green and there are small dark orange stars sprinkled around the border of the graphic. The words, “Are you ready? 4 weeks until…The Amazing Give – save the date! April 21st, 2022 7 am to 7 pm” are written in a large font in the center of the graphic. The Community Foundation of North Central Florida logo is in the bottom left corner and the CIL logo is in the bottom right corner.

Last week, our Consumer Specialist, Kevin, represented the CIL at the 39th Annual Parade of Senior Services at the Ewers Century Center at Central Florida Community College in Ocala.  There was about 40 agencies and organizations participating in this special event for our senior citizens, providing the opportunity to hand out literature, answer questions and offer their services.  Thanks so much Kevin for all of your hard work and spreading the word about the CIL at this community event!

Image description: Image features Kevin smiling and wearing a grey short sleeved CIL polo standing next to a large banner with the CILNCF logo and contact information. In front of Kevin is a table covered by a dark blue tablecloth and brochures about the services the CIL offers. There are other tables and banners around him representing different organizations.

The Florida Association of Centers for Independent Living (FACIL) is still accepting applications for the James Patrick Memorial Work Incentive Personal Assistant Services program (JPPAS)! The JPPAS program provides monthly stipends to qualified Floridians with disabilities who require personal assistance services for daily living.

Read this story below about how JPPAS has allowed this individual to keep his independence: 

“I am a fifty-year-old Puerto Rican man with cerebral palsy that grew up in the South Bronx, New York and later moved to Florida in 2006. At that time my girlfriend had been providing my personal care until her own disabilities prevented her from caring for me. It was a life-changing experience when I was introduced to FACIL and the JPPAS Program. I have been on the program for twelve years and just celebrated twenty-four years with the company I am employed with. I would like everyone to know that without the support and guidance of this awesome program, I would have had to move back up north close to my family. This program has given me the support that I need to maintain my employment and have full control of my life. I employ my own personal care attendant, am totally independent and am proud to be a productive disabled citizen in society. I look forward to working for many more years thanks to the JPPAS Program.”

Image description: Image features a blue background that fades into a soft, eggshell white towards the top. The top of the image reads: “The JP-PAS Personal Attendant Services & Employment Assistance Program” in large black lettering. In the bottom center of the graphic, there is a picture of three men looking at one computer screen as they work on a project together. The man on the right is in a wheelchair and he’s pointing and showing his colleagues something on the screen. The FACIL logo is in the center of the graphic on the right side and the JPPAS logo is in the center on the left hand side. In between them is the program’s website which says: http://www.floridacils.org/pca-services-program. 

The United Spinal Association is looking for enthusiastic, up-and-coming individuals living with spinal cord injuries or disorders who are passionate about advancing their abilities to reach new levels of success to join the #StrongWheeled community! If you believe that you or someone you know is a great representative of this community, click the link below to submit a nomination. The deadline for submissions is May 1st, 2022, and the winner will receive a grant to help them pursue their goals!

Image features a picture of 5 people in wheelchairs smiling as they pose for a photo outside on a sidewalk, and one man sitting on the ground in the middle of them smiling and holding up his arms. The picture takes up the top half of the graphic and the bottom half is a solid light blue background. The United Spinal Association logo is in the bottom left corner of the image. In the center of the image, there’s a black text box and the words, “Join the #StrongWheeled community!” are written inside of it in a white colored font. 

We are so excited to be a part of The Amazing Give, now only 5 weeks away!

The Amazing Give, taking place on April 21^st from 7am to 7pm and hosted by the Community Foundation, is an online giving day where local nonprofits have the opportunity to raise funds for their cause. It is the CIL’s biggest fundraiser of the year!

This year, we are once again setting a goal of $10,000! Will you help us reach this goal? ALL donations will be put towards our Wheelchair Ramp Building Program, which has been hit the hardest during the pandemic.

Please consider donating through our Amazing Give platform, scheduled to launch the first week in April. Thank you for helping the CIL continue to make a difference for families in need of a ramp to access their homes and community! Stay tuned for more information and success stories leading up to the event! #TheAmazingGive

Image Description: Graphic includes a square collage of 8 images on a white background. There are two images in each corner, one representing a different home before a wheelchair ramp is installed, and one representing the home after the ramp is installed. “Before” images are smaller than “After” images and slightly overlap them. The top two “After” images show homeowners being happy while using their wheelchair ramp.

The CILNCF turned 40 on October 22nd of last year! In celebration of this milestone, the CIL will be highlighting one program every month this year. Read all about this month’s program highlight below!

In High School High Tech (HSHT), high school students with all types of disabilities aged 14-22 are given opportunities to explore STEM careers (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math), through real-world experiences! During the past month, HSHT students had the opportunity to job shadow some of Santa Fe College’s Career and Technical Education programs for the day. Aidan and Ethan gained hands-on experience as they learned about their HVAC and Carpentry programs. Check out the video for a small glimpse of their day!

To learn more about HSHT, please visit The Able Trust website: http://www.abletrust.org/youth-programs/florida-high-school-high-tech/about-hsht

Video Description: Video begins with title slide. Title slide has a red background with white text reading “High School High Tech job shadowing with Santa Fe College’s Construction and Technical Programs”. The CIL logo is in the top right corner. The Able Trust Florida High School High Tech logo is in the bottom center. A graphic of a hammer and wrench is in the bottom left corner and a cartoon of a businessman wearing a hard hat is in the bottom right corner. In this 1-minute video, images flash of students standing outside of a Santa Fe construction building and taking a look at a wooden house frame with a supervisor explaining the work to them. In another scene, an instructor is showing students a piece of electrical equipment. The final scene is an ending slide with black background and white text reading: “Thank you, Santa Fe College’s construction and technical programs, for your continued support of High School High Tech!”