The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank^®, recently donated a total of $2,500 to the Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida (CILNCF) as part of the foundation’s commitment to giving back to the community.

The funds from the TD Charitable Foundation will be used towards the CILNCF’s High School High Tech (HSHT) Program for student activities such as STEM related workshops, corporate site visits, college and university campus tours, job shadowing and summer internships at local businesses.

“On behalf of the HSHT Program and the CILNCF, we are thrilled to receive this grant from the TD Charitable Foundation where funds will be used towards student activities such as job shadowing and summer internships. These experiences are extremely meaningful for our students.  They allow them to get real world experiences so they can make informed decisions upon graduation and go a long way to setting them up for success in the long term,” said HSHT Program Director Melissa Merrill.

A staunch commitment to active involvement in the local community is a vital element of the TD Bank philosophy. TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank^® and the TD Charitable Foundation provide support to affordable housing, financial literacy and education, and environmental initiatives, many of which focus on improving the welfare of children and families.

About the TD Charitable Foundation

The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank N.A., which operates as TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank^®, and is one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. The Foundation’s mission is to serve the individuals, families and businesses in all the communities where TD Bank operates, having made more than $159.8  million in charitable donations since its inception in 2002. The Foundation’s areas of focus are affordable housing, financial literacy and education, and environmental initiatives, many of which focus on improving the welfare of children and families.

About TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank^®

TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 8 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at approximately 1,300 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth^®, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.

TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol “TD”. To learn more, visit www.td.com.

Please join us!  Learn more about ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) United accounts at our upcoming Community Forum here at the Center for Independent Living on Thursday, August 11th at 7:00 PM.  Shannon Miller, Esq. from the Miller Elder Law Firm will be presenting.

ABLE United is a new law enacted July 1st, 2016 and provides the opportunity for Floridians with disabilities to save for the future without the concern of losing important state and federal benefits.

Please RSVP at PAGainesville@gmail.com.  We hope to see you there!

Volunteers with Disabilities needed for a special needs shelter drill, conducted by the Citrus County Florida Department of Health!

Help emergency response personnel to better serve people with disabilities in crisis situations.  People with all types of disabilities needed including, but not limited to:

• Physical:  Spinal cord injury, Diabetes
• Mental Health:  Depression, PTSD
• Sensory:  Deaf, Blind
• Cognitive:  Intellectual, ASD, Brain Injury

Time:  All day from 8:30am to 4:00pm (Lunch will be provided!)

Date:  Wednesday, July 13th, 2016

Location:  Renaissance Center School in Lecanto

To register, please contact Kevin Towles at the CILNCF Satellite Office in Ocala at 352-368-3788 or by e-mail at ktowles@cilncf.org.

RSVP by July 1st, 2016!    

On May 3rd, 2016, the Center for Independent Living is participating in The Amazing Give through the Community Foundation.  It is 24 hours of nonprofit giving, where area residents can give to their favorite nonprofits through online donations, and we need YOU to join us.

If you support people with disabilities living more independent lives, then you support the Center for Independent Living.  Every donation through The Amazing Give will help further our mission – and it’s your chance to make a real difference, right here in our community.

Please check out the Center’s donation page by clicking on the link below.  When we work together, AMAZING things can happen for our community!

The Amazing Give

Please check out this link to the Gainesville Sun and learn more about our new Executive Director, Tony Delisle, PhD:

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20160228/articles/160229775

The Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida’s High School High Tech (HSHT) Program is conducting a fundraiser with Relectrocycle, a company based in Ocala that specializes in refurbishing and recycling electronics.  The fundraiser will run from now until January 2016.  We will be collecting various electronics to help raise money for our summer internship stipends.  Please review the list below to see if you (or family/friends) may have some of these items to donate.  Everything listed can be any age or condition.  We would greatly appreciate any help you could provide!  If you would like to donate or have any questions, please contact HSHT Program Director Melissa Merrill at 352-378-7474 ext. 25.

Laptops (be sure and send the power supply)
Cell Phones
Smart Phones
PDA’s
IPods & MP3 players
Computer components including RAM (memory sticks), Processors, Hard Drive Boards, Motherboards, and other Plug-In boards
(The above items all come from the inside of computer towers, so you can ask for them and then dismantle)
Lithium Ion Batteries from cell phones and Laptops only
Video Games
Digital Cameras
Computer Tape Drives and Unused Media
Brass Band Instruments
Radio and TV Tubes
Computer Towers
Servers
Cables & Cords
Ink & Toner Cartridges
Electric Motors
Lead Batteries
Battery Backups
Flat Screen Monitors and True Flat Screen TVs (LCD, LED, Plasma)
Antique Electronics

THANK YOU!!

The University of Florida Disability Resource Center and the Harn Museum of Art are teaming up to celebrate and reflect on the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act through, ADA Today: Changing Perceptions, an art installation featuring works by students and community members.  Please see the attached document for additional information and if you would like to submit a work of art.

Call for Art

THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR WONDERFUL SPONSORS FOR OUR MOST RECENT OCALA OPEN HOUSE!

Golden Flake
Magnolia Animal Hospital
Audibel
Sam’s Club
Great American Cookie Company
Sun Tran
Stevi B’s
Domino’s
Harry’s Seafood
The Lunchbox
Wiseguy’s
Herbalife/Kevin Towles
Ocala Civic Theater
Living Healthy Massage
To Your Health Spa
Sonny’s
Mojo Grill
Firehouse Subs
Carrabba’s Italian Grill

The Board of Directors for the Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida (CILNCF) is pleased to announce the selection of their new Executive Director. After an extensive nationwide search, the CILNCF has found an individual with long-standing community roots and a history of active involvement with local organizations and named Anthony (Tony) T. Delisle, PhD as its new Executive Director.

“Interestingly, although candidates were interviewed from all over the country, the CILNCF was able to take advantage of the incredibly rich pool of talent the Gainesville area has to offer,” said CILNCF Board President Joe Dyke.

Dr. Delisle’s commitment to working with youth and adults with disabilities is a common thread found throughout his educational and professional experience, including his current position as a Post-Doctoral Associate with the University of Florida’s Department of Health Education & Behavior. He has strived to enable individuals to maximize their personal health and to achieve their goals of becoming contributors to society as a whole.

According to Dr. Delisle, part of his desire to become Executive Director for the CILNCF stems from his own experiences in accessing and utilizing disability support services. “I am legally blind. I can testify to the fact that I would not be where I am today (professionally and personally), if it were not for the compassionate and talented professionals who provided me the resources, training, and support I needed to live the type of independent life I desired. To this day, I often find myself… drawing upon their support for guidance and inspiration on how I might be able to return the favor to others, and I strongly believe the CILNCF provides this type of opportunity.”

In addition to his education and work experiences, Dr. Delisle also serves as the chair of the Southwest Advocacy Group (SWAG). In this role, he helps coordinate the efforts of both governmental and non-governmental agencies as well as individual efforts to help improve health, safety and education inequities within Alachua County.

A statement from the Center’s board of directors said, “The board is incredibly proud of what the CIL has become thanks to the hard work and long-time dedication of the CIL staff, Associate Director Amy Feutz, Business Manager Colette Gromoll, and retired Executive Director William Kennedy. We know that Tony will make an excellent addition to the team. The CILNCF is already a strong organization, and we believe that by making Tony a member of the CILNCF family, he and his passion will help it grow into an even stronger entity.”

“I was struck by the passion everyone at the CILNCF has for their job, the incredible talents they possess in performing their duties, and the tight-knit cohesive relationships that exist at the CILNCF,” Dr. Delisle said of his new team. “I am both humbled and honored by the trust the CILNCF has placed in me, and I am fully committed to continuing its great services, bolstering the CILNCF’s profile in our community, advocating for disability rights, and ensuring a long and fruitful future for the CILNCF.”

Dr. Delisle will officially join the CILNCF in mid-August.

For additional information, please contact Amy Feutz, Associate Director at amy@cilncf.org