September is Deaf Awareness Month, and to help us celebrate, we are having 3 Independent Living Skills (ILS) classes. These will be taught by long time staff member Colleen Metcalf, who is Deaf and can share her unique perspective with everyone.

She will teach the following ILS groups on zoom, on the following dates from 10:30am to 12:00pm:

Wednesday, September 7 – Deaf History

Wednesday, September 14 – Deaf Culture

Wednesday, September 21 – Learning Simple Signs

To join the zoom meeting, please click on the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3523787474?pwd=Wk5lVUt6RzBNU0NhdFRtb0xLYjFpQT09

If the link above does not take you to the meeting – go to zoom.us, at the top on the right side, click on the button that says join a meeting, and enter the information below:

Meeting ID: 352 378 7474

Passcode: cilclass OR 425521

We hope to see you there!

ID:  Picture of Colleen at the Ocala office, smiling and standing in front of a TV monitor hanging on the wall.  She is pointing to the four images on the screen.  Two of them show wording, “Deaf Culture” and “ASL”, with two showing images of signing.

High School High Tech (HSHT) is ready to blast off for success this school year!  Last week, HSHT students at Williston High School had their first workshop of the school year.  They worked on setting goals they would like to accomplish by the end of the school year, by working on their ILP’s (Independent Living Plans), and doing a team building exercise, “The marshmallow challenge.”

We are so excited for the new school year and all that it will bring for our HSHT students! 

Image Description:  Four pictures taken at the HSHT workshop.  Top left is of HSHT Program Coordinator Drew Dees, conducting the workshop, top right is a HSHT student setting goals, bottom left is also of a HSHT student setting goals and bottom right is one of a completed marshmallow tower.

We’re getting over the hump of the workweek and continuing to spread the word about the James Patrick Memorial Work Incentive Personal Assistant Services (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. 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 and make a change in your life, please visit http://www.floridacils.org/pca-services-program.

Image description: Light blue background of the surface of the ocean. 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 an illustration of a person in a wheelchair working at a computer on a desk in an office. 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 Independent Life is a podcast where we explore the services, issues, ideas, and people who will empower you to become the best version of yourself imaginable, attain your goals for Living Independently, and to serve others to your fullest potential.

In this episode which dropped last week, our Executive Director and host, Tony Delisle, interviews Drew Dees, High School High Tech (HSHT) Program Coordinator.  They discuss details about the program, as well as the incredible impact HSHT makes on students with disabilities, as they navigate through high school and transition into post-secondary education or employment.

Please click on the link below to listen to this episode!

The Independent Life Podcast featuring HSHT

Image contains two pictures of Tony and Drew recording the podcast at the CIL, sitting in front of microphones.  The top picture is of them looking at the camera, smiling and giving a thumbs up.  The second picture is of them looking at each other and talking. 

The countdown continues and we are thrilled to be participating in Give4Marion for our 3^rd year in a row!  All funds raised through this event will benefit our Marion County consumers.  Join us from Tuesday, September 20^th at 10am to Wednesday, September 21^st at 7pm…33 hours of giving!  Check out give4marion.org to stay updated, and stay tuned for the CIL’s donation page which is coming soon!

Image Description: Blue sky background with layered mountain tops and a black border at the very bottom, showing the tops of trees in a forest.  The Give4Marion logo covers the top half of the image.  A green rectangular box covers the bottom half from left to right, and inside is white lettering that reads, Join Us and Give, Give4Marion.org.

Summer is winding down and everyone is already back to school!  Join us online for our weekly classes in September, which is Deaf Awareness Month and the CIL will be celebrating! 

In-person classes will hopefully resume this month, and we will keep you informed as updates occur.  In the meantime, online classes remain the same, with our Youth Leadership and Social Group on Tuesdays from 3:30-5pm and our Independence Hacks (ILS) on Wednesdays from 10:30 – 12pm.  For every class, the meeting username is 352-378-7474 and the password is cilclass!

Please be sure to share this with anyone who would like to participate, and contact Terri Poucher at 352-378-7474 or tpoucher@cilncf.org with any questions!

Image Description: Entire background is blue and orange paint strokes running from left to right, starting with blue and alternating colors all the way to the bottom. The CIL logo is at the top center and below the logo is a bright orange heading that reads, “September Online Calendar”.  Underneath to the left are green alligators with “Tuesdays” and “Wednesdays” inside, with blue text for Tuesday and bright orange text for Wednesday.  The class titles and meeting times are to the right, next to their corresponding weekday, and the meeting ID and password is written in dark orange text at the bottom of the image.   

This month, we wanted to highlight AgrAbility, our brand-new program that assists farmers with disabilities!

The Florida AgrAbility Program (FAP) is a brand-new collaboration between the University of Florida (UF) and the CIL!  The FAP is receiving funding from a USDA’s AgrAbility grant, and is the first AgrAbility award for the state of Florida. 

The CIL has a central role in the FAP serving farmers with all types of disabilities, to ensure they secure and sustain meaningful work in agriculture through:

• Offering worksite and home-based assessments.
• Providing Assistive Technologies.
• Modifying equipment and work sites.
• Restructuring farm tasks.
• Identifying resources and services that can aid their independence.
• Assisting with inclusion in their communities through offering social opportunities that are essential for a high quality of life.

We are honored by this opportunity to give back to Florida’s farmers and reach more people with disabilities who live throughout our rural communities! 

If you know of anyone who might benefit from this program, please contact us here at the CIL at 352-378-7474 or cilncf.org@gmail.com.

Image Description: Woodworker using a red clamp to secure a piece of wood to a workbench, wearing an orange hat, dark blue long-sleeved jacket and beige gloves. Piles of wood are in the background to the left, as well as a blue aluminum wood-beamed ceiling.

Our CIL Team is so excited to be participating in this giving campaign for the 3^rd year in a row! All funds raised through Give4Marion will benefit our Marion County consumers. Join us from Tuesday, September 20^th at 10am to Wednesday, September 21^st at 7pm! Please visit give4marion.org for more information about how you can make a difference!  More information to come! 

Image Description: Give4Marion graphic with white background and three circle shapes. The first circle is large sized with a green border at the top left, with an image inside of a person collecting a plastic water bottle in a forest. The second circle is smaller sized and to the right of the large circle with a blue border and image inside of a person’s face looking at a sunset and forming their hands into a heart shape. The third circle is medium sized, to the bottom left with a red border and image inside of two people carrying a container with gardening supplies. The Give4Marion logo is towards the bottom right and below that is green lettering that reads, Join Our Day of Giving. Below that is smaller blue lettering that reads, Support us and give back September 20-21, 2022, 10am – 7pm. At the very bottom there is white lettering that reads, For more information go to Give4Marion.org, inside a dark blue background that runs from left to right.

Our Wheelchair Ramp Building Program is moving in an upwards spiral with another ramp being built for a consumer in need! 

Our latest recipient, Frederic, is 14 years old and was accidentally shot, resulting in him needing to use a wheelchair due to quadriplegia.  He was no longer able to fully access his own home, so Mark Brisbane, CIL Core Services Director, worked diligently with the family and was able to secure a new, modular wheelchair ramp in just over a week!

Having a ramp not only allows Frederic the necessary access to his own home, but also provides him access to the community, and being able to attend vital physical therapy sessions and follow-up medical appointments.  His mother Amber said it was a miracle to receive a ramp so quickly from the CIL!

Thank you so much Mark for making such a huge difference in Frederic’s life!  If you know of anyone in need of a wheelchair ramp, please e-mail Mark at mbrisbane@cilncf.org or call 352-378-7474.  

Image includes four pictures; the top two are before pictures of Frederic’s mobile home, showing old stairs with rotting wood and a missing rail on the left side, leading up to the front door, with debris surrounding the front yard of the home. The bottom two are after pictures, showing the newly built modular ramp without stairs or debris in the front yard.

The JP-PAS Program continues to change lives by providing monthly stipends to qualified Floridians with disabilities who are employed and require personal assistance services for daily living.  Please read JP-PAS recipient Mark’s testimonial below about how the JP-PAS Program empowered him to live a more independent life.

“I just want to say that the JP-PAS program has been instrumental for me to live a normal life despite managing a disability and to be a productive member of society. You guys have been an answer to prayer! Thank you!”

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: Orange and blue background with orange at the top left corner, fading into blue that covers the top right to the bottom left, fading into orange at the bottom right corner. 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 an illustration of a person in a wheelchair working at a computer on a desk in an office. 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.