Access Quarterly Summer | 2021
In this Issue Lillie 01 Meet and her “little piece of Heaven”
02 A Party Like no Other 03 Celebrating Independence LIVE! 2021 04 Are you
Hurricane Ready? 05 Volunteer spotight Siemens Energy beautifies CIL
06 We’re on a
Rampage! Ramping up for a year full of ramp builds!
07 Volunteer
opportunities/ Upcoming events 08 Congradulations
09
Project SEARCH students graduate!
Meet Lillie,
After being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 18, Lillie was told by doctors that she was in for a long road ahead, and warned her that her mobility would steadily decrease, leaving her ultimately unable to walk. Lillie’s diagnosis did not slow her down, and she went on to have many fulfilling jobs; a bus driver, a teacher’s aide, and even a certified nursing assistant. She even continued to enjoy her other passions like sewing, crocheting, and spending time with her 21 grandchildren. Although Lillie remained active, her own home was keeping her from participating in all of the things that made her happy and brought her a feeling of purpose. That’s when she reached out and made a call to CIL to see if she could make her home more accessible. It wasn’t long before a group of volunteers from KMI Internationl came to build what Lillie would come to call her “little piece of heaven”. Lillie’s new aluminum ramp has brought some much needed independence back to her life. She can go outside for walks, participate in community events, and simply enjoy the things that bring her joy.
Summer ‘21 | 01
A party like no other Celebrating INdependence LIVE! 2021 by Chance Morrow, Marketing Manager, CIL
O
n Friday, June 25, CIL celebrated independence LIVE! virtually for the second year in the row. This year, the live recording took place at Full Sail University’s high-tech studio, “The Fortress”. Stephanie Bechara, Reporter at Spectrum News 13, emceed this year’s polished event. Raffle tickets for three prize packages were a huge success, and three lucky winners took home some amazing prizes. Througout the night, viewers got to see some of the work that CIL does to break down barriers for the Central Florida disability community, and the partnerships that help make that happen. Each year, CIL recognizes an individual and an organization that have made a positive impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities in the Central Florida community, and presents them the following awards:
Champion Award Recipient
Host, Stephanie Bechara, from Spectrum News 13, welcomed all who tuned in to the live stream event on Friday, June 25.
Orlando Health has been a long-time active partner to CIL, its mission, and the work that is done to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities. From building ramps, to acting as Santa’s Helpers during our Silent Night holiday party, Orlando Health and their team are dedicated to the betterment of our community in more ways than one.
Summer ‘21 | 02
Beverly CHapman Award Recipient Created to honor one of CIL’s founders and a major disability advocate, the Beverly Chapman Award is presented to a leader in our community who shows dedication and perseverance, creating opportunities for inclusion for people with disabilities. This year’s award was proudly presented to Sarah Goldman. Sarah has used her personal experiences as a person with a disability, in addition to her education, to fuel change by contributing to policy initiatives as a District Aide at the Florida House of Representatives.
Thank you to all who tuned in, purchased raffle tickets and VIP experiences, donated, and supported CIL. If you missed the live event, you can watch the recorded segment on CIL’s YouTube and Facebook pages.
Event Sponsors
Raffle Sponsor
VIP Sponsor
Independence Sponsors
Barrier Breaker Sponsors
Summer ‘21 | 04
Volunteer Spotlight T
o celebrate Earth Day this year, a volunteer team from Siemens Energy paid a vist to CIL’s Winter Park office to beautify landscaping, touch up parking lot paint, and even install a brand new CIL sign that was hand-painted by a Siemens volunteer.
Thank You Siemens Energy!
Summer ‘21 | 05
We are excited to announce that we are once again going on a RAMPAGE! When someone living with a disability is trapped in their home and dependent on others, our entire community is impacted. RAMPAGE transforms the lives of individuals with disabilities who are incapable of leaving their own homes without the help of others and allows them the opportunity to access their community. Since 2005, the CIL team, sponsors, donors, and volunteers have worked together to provide life-changing home modifications to create an accessible environment for individuals with disabilities and their families. With over 150 ramps built by the hands of over a thousand volunteers, we seek to continue making a hands-on impact across Central Florida with RAMPAGE in 2021!
Long-time partner Publix Super Markets Charities is going on a RAMPAGE once again this year, supporting our Foundations to Freedom program and providing critical home modifications like ramps for Central Floridians in need.
If your company or organization is interested in going on a RAMPAGE, or for more information, contact Brittany Pilcher, Development Director at bpilcher@cilorlando.org or 407-623-1070.
Volunteer Opportunities
Are you a high school student in search of giving back to your community while gaining some volunteer hours? We are currently searching for volunteers to help us with some simple landscaping! If you’re interested, please contact bpilcher@cilorlando.org
Events Join Orange County District 5 Commissioner Emily Bonilla on July 31st to Celebrate the 31st Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and National Wheelchair Beautification Month! In celebration and illumination, Commissioner Emily Bonilla is inviting members of the ADA community to “Share Your Shine” at a free community event with food, fun, music, and a wheelchair beautification parade. Date: July 31, 2021 – Two Event Times Available Address: Renaissance Senior Center 3800 S Econlockhatchee Trail Orlando, Florida Website: emilybonilla.com
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Congrad ulations! Graduation time was upon us- and this last May, students from both Project SEARCH in Lakeland and Lake Wales graduated from their programs. The Project SEARCH Transition-to-Work Program is a unique, businessled, one-year employment preparation program that takes place entirely at the workplace. Total workplace immersion facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and handson training through worksite rotations. The program culminates in individualized job development. This year was challenging in many ways, but with the help and trust of both Project SEARCH locations, these students were able to get hands-on experience and training in a variety of work environments. The Lake Wales Care Center (a community service organization that focuses on building bridges between people in need and people with a desire to serve) volunteered themselves as the site location for Project SEARCH in Lake Wales this year, allowing these students to receive hands-on experiences that COVID-19 would have otherwise haulted. All six students at Project SEARCH Lakeland have been offered fulfilling jobs that will hopefully lead to engaging careers.
For more information about Project SEARCH and CIL’s Step Ahead program, visit www.cilorlando.org/stepahead.
Summer ‘21 | 09