We are so happy to share our recent progress with our COVID Food Distribution, a CIL Connections service.

At our most recent distribution, we gave one hundred nutritionally balanced boxes of food and even more baked goods to over 35 consumers at Sunshine Apartments! How much did this cost? Nothing! Thanks to our partnership with Bread of the Mighty, we were able to bring a surplus of food to a community in need.

We have also reached a new neighborhood, Caroline Manor! It was a true pleasure meeting these residents and new CIL consumers, including Ms. Reynolds, pictured below. Several residents were also signed up for additional services, including Paratransit and Employment. It means so much to us to help such a lovely community meet their independence goals!

We look forward to expanding our reach even further in the upcoming months, as bringing food and other essential items to our consumers is a crucial factor in maintaining independence during this pandemic.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 

May your pathway be easy,  

May your spirit be strong, 

And may luck always follow you, 

All your life long! 

This Friday, March 19^th from 7pm to 8:15pm, ION Gainesville is hosting their monthly Zoom bingo night for young adults with disabilities aged 18-30ish! 

If you or someone you know would like to play bingo with them, please RSVP by Thursday March 18th at 9 pm.  They will then send you a link and bingo cards.  If you know of another young adult with varying abilities who would like to join, feel free to share.

We wanted to share some important information about the most recent updates about the COVID vaccinations for you and your family and friends to share.  

People of any age who are considered vulnerable to COVID and can get a physician to sign off on this, can get the vaccine.  People with disabilities and those with secondary health conditions associated with COVID (heart disease, respiratory disease, diabetes) are considered vulnerable. ​

Please see attached Vulnerability Form that must be signed by a physician to get the vaccine. The second image has a QR code that can be scanned by a smart phone and will provide the same Vulnerability Form that is needed for a physician to sign.

The CIL is participating in the Amazing Give, Workday Edition, on April 22nd from 7am to 7pm! Please save the date and spread the word to help us reach our fundraising goal of $10,000!

This year, Amazing Give donations will go towards our services with the most need: Housing, Employment, and our Youth Programs.

Keep an eye out for our upcoming spring newsletter, and remember to follow and stay tuned on our social media accounts, as we will be sharing CIL success stories leading up to the event.

Thank you in advance for your amazing support!

Although COVID hit us hard, the CIL was still able to build a new deck and stairs last fall for Mr. John Gonzales, a disabled Air Force Veteran.

Before Mr. Gonzales received his deck and stairs, he worried for his safety. Since receiving his deck and stairs, it has brought more security and independence to Mr. Gonzales as access to his house became easier.

Thanks to Custom Designs Renovations, his new deck and stairs was able to be built. We appreciate Mark Brisbane, Consumer Specialist for the CIL, for assisting in making Mr. Gonzales feel safer and more confident in his home.

The Region 3 Healthcare Coalition Alliance recently awarded about $215,000 for projects across an 18-county region in North Florida and we are very excited to announce that we have been awarded part of these funds for future projects!

The CIL has been awarded grant funds for our Emergency Preparedness Expo for People with Disabilities.

We are so grateful to the Region 3 Healthcare Coalition Alliance for giving us the opportunity to expand our outreach!

Special thanks to our staff member Kevin Towles in our Ocala office who assisted the CIL with securing these funds!

On Friday, ION Gainesville is hosting a virtual BINGO game night for young adults (age 18-30) with disabilities!

If you would like to participate, please RSVP in advance to iongainesville@gmail.com.

Once you RSVP, they will email you a link to the zoom call and a copy of the bingo sheet! All you need to join is a device that can connect to the internet. Prizes will be included!

The Center for Independent Living of North Central FL is hosting the 4th Annual Disaster Preparedness Expo for People with Disabilities. The theme this year is Mental Health. This expo will contain important information on how to adequately prepare for the unexpected.

This event will have ASL interpreters present and other accommodations can be arranged.

In order to look out for everyone’s safety and health at this time, masks are required and there will be a temperature check at the door.

To register please go to the following links:

English: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/center-for-independent-living-of-north-certral-fl-16494197787

Spanish: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/de-preparacion-para-emergencias-para-personas-con-discapacidades-tickets-140356822033