Do you want to try delicious Brazilian snacks, enjoy live Brazilian music, and hear from guest-speaker Welson Tremura, a professor of music at the UF Brazilian Music Institute and co-director for Jacaré Brazil, a Brazilian music ensemble?

Join us at the Center for Independent Living tomorrow, April 11, at 5 p.m. as we kick off our Intercultural Latin Group at the CIL!

This new group was started to reach out to Hispanic/Latinx people with disabilities and to “create a new community,” according to Nicolli Sorice, the event organizer and Hispanic Outreach Core Specialist at the Center.

We hope to see you there!

The CIL, and several other organizations in the community, had the pleasure of participating in a free shopping day at the Junior League of Gainesville Thrift Shop due to its official closure.

We left with several bags of interview clothing and craft supplies that will surely benefit our consumers.

Thank you to the Junior League for your generosity and commitment to making a positive impact on the community!

One small click each day could have an enormous impact on empowering those with disabilities.

Every month, the Center for Independent Living is eligible to be SunState Federal Credit Union’s “Charity of the Month” – and to receive a donation of $1,000.

All it takes is a vote on Facebook to get started. Visit https://www.facebook.com/SunStateFCU/, scroll down the page and click on the “Charity of the Month” tab, locate the CIL icon, and cast your vote.

Facebook users can cast one vote every day, each day of the month. The charity with the most votes at the end of the month will receive a $1,000 donation and be profiled in SunState Federal Credit Union’s Our Town Magazine.

Charities are also eligible for a randomly selected $500 donation. The more votes received each month, the better the chance of receiving that month’s $500 donation.

This April, remember to set an alarm, post a sticky-note reminder, and vote for the Center for Independent Living for “Charity of the Month”!

Thank you to everyone who helped make The Amazing Give 2019 a success for the CIL! We raised OVER $6,500 this year, a record-breaking amount for the Center and $1,500 more than we raised last year. We could not have done it without your generosity and support.

Your donations will help us continue building ramps for those who need accessible home modifications; they will help us continue our High School High Tech youth program and ensure that youth with disabilities can pursue careers in science and technology; and they will help us continue to provide essential transition and employment services – but these are only a few examples of what we can do with your help!

Overall, your contributions will help us to continue striving towards our mission of empowering those with disabilities. 

Thank you again, and we can’t wait to do amazing things with you in the future.

Today at 6 p.m., The Amazing Give, a 24-hour online fundraiser hosted by the Community Foundation, will commence, giving our generous community an opportunity to directly support the Center for Independent Living’s countless programs. This year, your generous donations will go directly toward supporting our youth programs, including High School High Tech and Transition.

In addition, there will be a Kick-Off tonight at Gainesville’s own Adam’s Rib Co., at 2109 NW 13th Street, with raffle prizes and delicious ribs and barbecue. Supporters will have a chance to win two $20 gift cards to Adam’s Rib Co.

Get ready to give! Please visit the Center for Independent Living’s Amazing Give campaign page to get started at: https://www.theamazinggive.org/organizations/center-for-independent-living-of-north-central-florida

On Feb. 26, the Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida will be hosting an Emergency Preparedness Conference for people with disabilities, senior adults and members of the community. The event will be held in the Ed Croskey Center in Ocala from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Please see the flyer below for more details as well as information about registering for this free event.

Next Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 7p.m., the CILNCF will host guest speaker Nancy Wright.

Wright is a local, experienced, special needs attorney, who will be sharing free information with young adults with special needs and/or their families regarding guardianship issues. Nancy will explain the purpose of guardian advocacy and other alternatives families might utilize to assist or make important life decisions for their loved one with special needs.

See the flyer below for further information.