If you are employed, but depend on personal care assistance to help with your daily activities, check out the details below, you may be eligible for the James Patrick Memorial Work Incentive Personal Assistant Services (JP-PAS) Program!

The JP-PAS Program provides monthly stipends to qualified Floridians with disabilities who are employed and require personal assistance services to attain and maintain competitive and integrated employment.

To be eligible you must:

• Be a Florida resident
• Be employed
• Earn an income that is at least 100% of the Federal Poverty Level and no more than $150,000 per year.
• Not receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.
• Not receive Medicaid Home and Community-based Services while they are enrolled in the program.

The Florida Association of Centers for Independent Living (FACIL) is always accepting applications for JP-PAS, so 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: Beach background with blue sky and fading sunset. The 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 a person smiling at the camera in a wheelchair, working at a computer on a table in an office with two co-workers to his right. 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.

Do you have a hearing loss that makes it difficult to use the phone? Please join us for a FREE presentation with the CIL and FAAST Program this month! CaptionCall representatives will be visiting our CIL office in Gainesville to provide information about their free services, and demonstrate how to use their phone equipment as well as their new iPhone app. The event will take place on Thursday, September 22^nd from 12pm to 1pm. 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.  

Are you passionate about the accessibility of COVID-19 vaccines? Apply now to share your thoughts as a part of our COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee (CVAC)!

The CVAC will serve as a team to provide ideas, feedback, and support for the CILNCF COVID-19 response. The CVAC members will be paid for their time, and expect to meet once a month from October-March. 

For more information or to apply, please email Emily Berndt at eberndt@cilncf.org or call 352-378-7474 ext. 2051. 

ID:  Graphic with white background and large, light blue talk bubble at the top with dark blue lettering that states, “Join our COVID-19 Advisory Committee”.  The bubble points to the CIL logo at the bottom left.  A dark blue rectangular shape is at the bottom right with white lettering inside that states, “Apply Now”, and a blue arrow at the bottom right of the shape is pointing towards it.

Do you want to give back and make a difference in someone’s life?  Join us Tuesday, September 20^th at 10am to Wednesday, September 21^st at 7pm for this 33-hour online fundraising event, #Give4Marion!  All funds raised through #Give4Marion will benefit our consumers who are seeking meaningful employment.  Check out our donation page and click on the link below to learn more about who we are, what we do and why we do it!

Give to Center for Independent Living of North Central | Give4Marion

Image Description: Light blue background up top and royal blue background at the bottom with banner image in the middle of the page showing a blue sky with white clouds, green tree tops, a lake surrounded by green grass, and a bridge with a person walking across.  The Give4Marion logo is in the middle of the banner image.  Red lettering is at the top that reads, “Get ready to give!”  And light blue lettering is at the bottom showing the Give4Marion website.

Vera, who is 88 years old, was having difficulty stepping up to get into her front entrance due to mobility issues and needed a small ramp to help her enter and exit her home safely. Our CORE Services Director, Mark Brisbane, got to work and made it happen to secure a new ramp for Vera. Now that she has a ramp with handrails, life is so much easier for her, and she is forever grateful for our help!

Image includes four pictures; the top two are before pictures of Vera’s front door area, top left showing one large step leading up to the front door, and top right shows the start of the building process. The bottom two are after pictures, bottom left showing the newly built wooden ramp with handrails, bottom right showing Vera walking up her new ramp.

The CIL honors those who lost their lives on this day in 2001, as well as those who served earnestly, and the families and friends who are still learning to live with this.

“If we learn anything from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.” Sandy Dahl, wife of Flight 93 pilot Jason Dahl.

By popular demand, Independence and Opportunity Network of Gainesville (ION) will be piloting a return to in-person bingo for young adults with disabilities this month, and the CIL will be hosting!  

HEROES volunteers from UF will return to help assist with the event, and additional CIL volunteers have offered to show their support as well. Thank you volunteers!!

Please check out the dates, times and details below for September Bingo, either in-person or online via Zoom. Feel free to join us for both if you’d like!

• Play bingo in person at the CIL on Friday, September 23^rd at 7pm
  • RSVP appreciated by e-mailing Trish Thoburn at iongainesville@gmail.com
  • $5 per person which includes pizza, drinks, dessert
  • Prizes are included
  • 222 SW 36th Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32607

• Play bingo online via Zoom on Friday, September 16^th at 7pm
  • If you are a regular player, you have your card and the zoom link!
  • If you are a new zoom player, reply by emailing Trish Thoburn at iongainesville@gmail.com by Thursday September 15^th at 9pm and she will send you the link and instructions
  • No charge for Zoom bingo

Please contact Trish Thoburn at iongainesville@gmail.com or call at 352-339-6278 with any questions or concerns, and feel free to share with other young adults who might be interested.

ID:  Bingo flyer that includes all of the information listed above, with a colorful border containing bingo cards in the bottom left corner and numbered bingo balls in the remaining corners. The ION logo is centered up top, the CIL logo is to the upper right and the HEROES logo is towards the bottom left.

On September 20^th, you will have the chance to give and make a difference in our consumer’s lives!  All funds raised through #Give4Marion will benefit our consumers who are seeking meaningful employment.  Check out give4marion.org to stay updated, and be on the lookout for our donation page to be ready to give!

Image Description: Green grass background with and banner image in the middle of the page showing trees, green grass and a fence.  The Give4Marion logo is in the middle of the banner image.  White cursive lettering is at the top that reads, Ready to make a difference?  And white lettering is at the bottom showing the Give4Marion website.

Did you know that September 10^th is the peak of hurricane season?  It’s fast approaching, so now is the time to get an action plan in place for you and your family!

CIL Consumer Specialist, Kevin Towles, is hard at work to make sure all people with disabilities are informed and prepared for any upcoming storms.  He wanted to share a couple of links about the hurricane season so far and how to get a disaster plan in place.  Check them out below! 

https://www.nbc12.com/2022/08/31/2022-hurricane-season-off-quiet-start-above-average-season-still-forecast/

https://apps.floridadisaster.org/getaplan/

ID:  Picture of Kevin in his office at the Ocala CIL, reviewing emergency preparedness websites.  There are blue borders at the top and bottom that contain raindrops. 

Our CIL team works hard every day and now they get a chance to play!  Today the CIL will be closed, but we’ll be back open for business on Tuesday.  We hope everyone is having a safe and happy holiday weekend!

ID:  Dark blue background with “Happy Labor Day, from the” written in large text from the top to the lower middle, and below that is the CIL logo.  A white border surrounds the text and logo, with a white dot in each corner.  A video of a blue firework and sparkles plays behind the text and logo.