Greetings | The Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida welcomes you! If you have any questions about the center or the services we provide, please contact us at 352-378-7474. Our number again, is 3, 5, 2, 3, 7, 8, 7, 4, 7, 4.
Happy CIL Sunday! Please check out our latest August calendar of online activities, as well as the calendars featuring our awesome Youth Social Group and our Independence Hacks workshops!
On Tuesday, Youth Social Group runs from 3:30PM-5:00PM. On Wednesday, Independent Hacks (ILS) runs from 10:30AM-12:00PM. Everything can be reached on Zoom through the meeting ID: 352 378 7474 and password: cilclass
If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please contact Terri Poucher at 352-378-7474 or tpoucher@cilncf.org.
Happy Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 31st Anniversary! The ADA works to ensure all people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. This act is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. Although there is still a long way to go, the CIL continues to work hard each and every day to reach our goal of living in a world where there is social justice for all people with disabilities. Thank you for being a part of that and as always, for your support! Let’s celebrate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 31st Anniversary! #ADA31 #ThanksToTheADA
Image description: Light blue backgroup with the CIL and ADA 31st Anniversary logos at the top. White, purple, and navy text stating information written in caption above. Below that, there is a purple half circle shape, navy circle, and white heart, all with cartoon faces on them.
ONLY ONE WEEK AWAY!! Please join CILNCF for the first annual Wellness Over Everything Community Check-In & Wellness Fair for people with disabilities on Friday, July 30th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm located at the Bo Diddley Downtown Plaza (111 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601).
There will be interactive, wellness-promoting activities for people with disabilities including yoga, art making, and health screenings as well as information about community resources. We will have a raffle for great prizes from local businesses! Food and refreshments will be available for purchase during the fair. The event space and all activities will be accessible and welcoming for individuals living with disabilities. The event is free and open to the public, so we hope to see you there!
Special thanks to our sponsors (alphabetical order):
• Alachua County Health Promotion & Wellness Coalition
• Be Fit Be Able
• Bo Diddley Plaza
• Florida Trail Association
• Flow Space
• Gainesville Bike-Ped
• Gainesville Fire Rescue Community Resource Paramedicine Program
• Gainesville Opportunity Center
• Health Education and Training Center of Gainesville Inc. (HEAT)
• HealthStreet
• Keep Alachua County Beautiful
• Massage Envy
• Neighborhood Housing & Development Corporation (NHDC)
• Putting Families First (PFF)
• Safa Music Academy
• Special Olympics
• The Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops
• UF Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD)
Mark your calendars! The Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida’s inaugural Wellness Over Everything, community check-in and wellness fair, is less than two weeks away!!
The event will take place on Friday, July 30th, from 10 AM to 2 PM, at Bo Diddley Plaza. The venue address and other important information can be located on the flyer below.
This event, designed for individuals with disabilities, is open to the public and all are welcome. There will be a diverse group of community organizations sharing information and hosting activities that promote wellness in various dimensions. Join us for a fun-filled day of dance, art, yoga, food, music, and so much more!
We hope to see you there!
Image description: Background is a landscape photo of a blue sky with one cloud and the sun at the top and green hills at the bottom. At the top right of the image, dark blue small text states “The Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida presents:” In the cloud, there is dark blue text stating “WELLNESS OVER EVERYTHING.” Below that, in the middle, the image lists “WHO: Individuals with disabilities, open to all!” in teal text, “WHAT: The inaugural Community Check-In and Wellness Fair with free admission!” in purple text, “WHEN: Friday, July 30th, 2021 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM” in royal blue text, “WHERE: Bo Diddley Downtown Plaza 11 E University Ave Gainesville, FL 32601” in light green text, and “WHY: To combat social isolation and promote wellness for people with disabilities in the community. There will be fun, engaging activities such as yoga, dance, art, music, food trucks, and more!” in aqua blue text. Below that, on the hills, sponsors are listed by text which states “in partnership with:” and the following sponsors logos: NHDC, HealthStreet, Westside Samaritans, flow space, Alachua County Health Promotion & Wellness Coalition, UF Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, Crave Hot Dogs & Barbecue, Safa Music Academy, UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine, Special Olympics Florida, Keep Alachua County Beautiful, Massage Envy, Working Food, ElderCare of Alachua County, GBP Gainesville Bike Ped, Gainesville Opportunity Center and Florida Trail Association.
Socialize and learn new topics with friends during our online Youth Social Group, every Tuesday from 3:30-5:00. We explore a variety of fun topics together, ranging from “Pet Day” to “Fourth of July Facts & Trivia.” YSG can be reached on Zoom through the meeting ID: 352 378 7474 and password: cilclass If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please contact Terri Poucher at 352-378-7474 or tpoucher@cilncf.org.
The whole month of July is dedicated to honoring diversity, promoting visibility, and celebrating uniqueness among all those with disabilities. Disability Pride Month is used to promote awareness of disability as an identity, community, a culture, and the positive pride felt by anyone with disabilities. Image Description: Dark navy background with eight blue sparkles at the top and a blue wavy shape at the bottom of the graphic. There is yellow text with a blue border stating “Happy Disability Pride Month!” in the middle of the graphic. Below the text is an image of ten individuals with different disabilities.
“Lovisa has been overcoming struggles in her life all through school. When she first came to Lake Weir High she hated it because like other schools she was picked on and bullied. But after time passed she began to make a small circle of friends, and one of them told her about HSHT, how fun it was and that she needed to join. She came home and told me about it and I told her she could attend. Now, almost 3 years later, she is in her final year of the program. She loves everything about it, the confidence it gives her and all she has learned. My child has gone from a girl who hated school and didn’t want to go back to graduating with a 3.5 GPA and has been accepted to the College of Central Florida and will be working towards her associate’s degree in education, to be a teacher’s assistant and work with children. I am so proud of her and this program. They offer so much to the kids teaching them the skills they need to help them transition to the next step.” – Elizabeth Palmer (mother of Lovisa Palmer)
Happy Friday! July 26th marks the 31st Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Come join and celebrate with us through the ADA Webinar on July 22nd at 10 AM-12 PM. Click the link below to register for the webinar!
In mid-June, we conducted our first food and resource distribution at Tri-County Community Center in Chiefland. We are proud to announce that the distribution was a major success and we cannot wait to return! A total of 39 new consumers were signed up for our food distribution program, many of whom also requested additional services, including ramp building and employment services. Tri-County Community Center serves Levy, Gilchrist, and Dixie counties, meaning that this is a perfect partnership as we expand our outreach efforts in our rural communities. We look forward to building this relationship and working together to make achieving independence possible for even more people.
Happy Monday! Our Wheelchair Ramp Building Program continues to make a difference in local lives! Unfortunately, the CIL was faced with the inevitable decision to pause the program this past year, due to the many challenges of COVID, and was unable to build any wheelchair ramps for our consumers in need. However, we are now happy to report that our ramp program is up and running again!
We recently completed three ramp builds in Live Oak, Jasper and Gainesville for Ms. Sylvia, Ms. Anissa and Mr. Edwin, who were all unable to leave their homes by themselves due to living with various health and physical disabilities. Now that the ramp builds are complete, they feel so very blessed and thankful they can access their own homes and communities, attend important doctor’s appointments, and feel less isolated and more independent!
Special thanks to Ben Amwake Home Solutions, Custom Design Renovations, and our team here at the CIL for doing an amazing job and working together to provide this much needed service for our consumers with disabilities!
