ACCESS QUARTERLY SPRING 2018
Second Chances Getting Ready to Meet the SHARK High School High Tech Students
A Delicious Donation
prepare to pitch their business plans
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Stroll ‘n’ Roll Catch up on the excitement from CIL’s first Stroll ‘n’ Roll at Crane’s Roost Park!
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Deaf Expressions April 10, 2018 Celebrating Independence June 23, 2018
As CIL’s High School High Tech class learns about entrepreneurship, they prepare to present their plans to CenterState Bank.
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RAMPAGE Spring, 2018
Getting Ready to Meet the Shark
Upcoming Events
The Spring of RAMPAGE CIL volunteers get ready for the 2018 RAMPAGE season!
A Delicious Donation
Blaze Pizza supported CIL with a delicious give-back night!
The Impact of Volunteers After the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma, CIL makes efforts to help the disability community recover.
Second Chances Past mistakes can be an obstacle to obtaining a new job, but adding disability to the equation can add new complications.
ACCESS QUARTERLY | SPRING EDITION
“I’m so grateful CIL is available to people who need a little help like myself. Without you I wouldn’t have a new scooter and batteries to get around and do what I love.” -Linus
Board of Directors Chair Mellissa Slover-Athey Centerstate Bank
Vice Chair Maxine Moul Orlando Health
Past Chair Kim Byerly Darden Restaurants
Secretary Cheryl Stone Retired Microbiologist
Members Hector Del Valle, MSW AIP Southern Regional Coordinator
Alexis Kubart Pearson Online Learning Services
Dr. Maxine Ruddock Comprehensive Psychological & Assessment Services
Ronika Carter Watson LLP
Steve Beres Regions Bank
Tamara Mackroy Comprehensive Health Services
Ha Tran Crummer School of Business
MISSION “CIL, in partnership with the community, promotes inclusion of people with disabilities by eliminating architectural, communication and attitudinal barriers. CIL provides education, resources, and training to enhance self-determination through informed choice.”
Director’s Voice
Here at CIL our mission is to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities by eliminating barriers. Barriers come in different forms, just like disabilities. Some of those we serve may have had a disability from birth while others may be faced with a disability later in life. As we age it is only natural that our senses age as well; one of those senses being hearing. Since 1992 Center for Independent Living has been a distribution site for amplified phones through Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc. (FTRI) which provides partial funding so that we can offer this service. Those who are Florida residents and are hard of hearing can make an appointment to come in and receive an amplified phone for FREE. Last year through this program 129 individuals received one of these phones giving them the ability to once again communicate with their loved ones by breaking down the communication barrier that stood in their way. With evolving technology this program continues to grow, we can even offer Bluetooth compatible equipment for cell phones. If you are interested in learning more about how you can support this specific program or know someone in need of an amplified phone please contact us at 407-623-1070. Sometimes, something as simple as just being able to communicate over the phone with someone we care about can make a world of difference. www.cilorlando.org | ACCESS QUARTERLY 3
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On the very cool morning of March 10, hundreds of supporters, volunteers, donors, and clients gathered in Crane’s Roost Park for CIL’s 7th annual Stroll ‘n’ Roll walk. As part of the event, iVenture presented CIL with a check for $2,500, and Marilyn, one of CIL’s clients told attendees about her personal experiences with CIL and why it is such an important part of the community. After the presentations the participants walked around the one mile course, some of them more than once! Some of the participants took the opportunity to use wheelchairs to navigate the course, realizing that it wasn’t as easy as it looked. Stroll ‘n’ Roll participants could pre-register for the event online and raise funds as individuals or in teams. Official event shirts were awarded for raising a minimum of $20. Furthermore, many received additional rewards for reaching higher milestones in their fundraising efforts. On the day of the event, attendees were also eligible to participate in a “passport” raffle, which required participants to visit the vendors who would fill out the participants “passport” indicating that they had visited vendor’s display. Those that visit all vendors were entered into a drawing and the winners were selected at random at the conclusion of the event. This year’s event received a rave reception, and with over 20 vendors, was our best Stroll ‘n ‘ Roll yet. We raised close to $12,000 which will go toward CIL services to help people with disabilities live independently. We want to thank everyone who participated and “strolled or rolled” to help Central Floridians with disabilities live independently. 4
ACCESS QUARTERLY | SPRING EDITION
Sponsored by Senior Resource Alliance and State of Florida, Department of Elder Affairs
Thursdays 10am - 12pm May 3 - Jun 28
A Matter of Balance is a free 8-week structured group intervention that emphasizes practical strategies to reduce fear of falling and increase activity levels. Participants learn to view falls and fear of falling as controllable, set realistic goals to increase activity, change their environment to reduce fall risk factors, and exercise to increase strength and balance.
www.cilorlando.org | ACCESS QUARTERLY
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Getting Ready to Meet the High School High Tech students at Bartow High School and George Jenkins High School have started working on a project-based learning experience in entrepreneurship. They have been busy learning about the different stages of starting a small business, including developing a business plan, drafting marketing strategies and identifying target markets. Throughout the semester students have covered lessons on various topics such as self-advocacy and 3 minute elevator speech presentations in addition to the lessons related on this year’s theme of entrepreneurship. High School High Tech has had guest speakers from Citrus Connection and Family Network on Disabilities who have offered workshops and training about transportation and competitive employment skills for our students. To enhance their experiential learning in entrepreneurship, students are developing is a t-shirt and bracelet combo with branding that was designed by two of the program participants. Students will present their product to investors that they hope will help them market the product when they participate in their very own High School High Tech Shark Tank event on March 23rd. Students will then have the experience of selling their product to classmates, family members and the community. They are very enthusiastic to begin the retail process. The money raised from their sales will help fund the end of the year trip to Busch Gardens; a hard-earned and well-deserved trip in recognition of all their arduous efforts during the school year.
The 2017-2018 High School High Tech Program is made possible in part by a grant from the George Jenkins Fund Part of the GiveWell Community Foundation
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ACCESS QUARTERLY | SPRING EDITION ACCESS QUARTERLY | WINTER EDITION
SATURDAY,
JUNE 23rd HARRY P. LEU GARDENS 1920 NORTH FOREST AVENUE ORLANDO, FL 32803
Celebrating Independence is an evening of inclusion and fun for persons of all abilities.Each year CIL presents the Beverly Chapman Legacy Award to an individual who has worked hard to break barriers and create new opportunities for disability inclusion in Central Florida. If you would like to become a Celebrating Independence Sponsor or would like more information on the benefits of sponsorship, please contact:
Brittany Pilcher Development Director 407-623-1070 bpilcher@cilorlando.org 8
ACCESS QUARTERLY |
SPRING EDITION
The Spring of
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Edward sat on the steps outside his Winter Springs home worrying about the future. Until recently he had never had any health issues. But that changed in mid-2017 when he began experiencing leg pain when taking his dogs for their daily walk. A doctor’s visit assured him that the pain was temporary, but as time passed the pain steadily grew worse. He was unable to stand for long periods of time, and to his dismay, became unable to take his dogs for walks. Finally, his doctor ordered an MRI and discovered the cause of his pain was a nerve in his leg that had become pinched against his femur compromising his ability to walk. He will soon be receiving a scooter, which is wonderful; however, because of the steps to his home he can’t use it get in and out. Edward needs a ramp, but unfortunately, he can’t afford to have one built so he is confined to his home. That is where RAMPAGE comes in. RAMPAGE is part of CIL’s Foundations to Freedom program and aims to tackle the large-scale accessibility needs of individuals with disabilities in the community. What makes RAMPAGE unique is it is a primarily volunteer driven effort. Sponsors will adopt certain projects and either provide their own volunteers, or allow another organization or group to help construct the ramp. Architectural plans for the ramps are donated by various architectural firms throughout Central Florida and CIL assists the homeowners to secure the necessary permits. Each year hundreds of volunteers participate in RAMPAGE to provide the ramps these individuals with disabilities could not otherwise afford and giving the them the freedom to go to appointments, visit family and friends, shop, or just go outside to breath the fresh air and enjoy the sunshine. Along with Edward, there are many other individuals in need of ramps; such as America who has been living with Parkinson’s disease, osteoporosis, heart disease, asthma, COPD, diabetes, high cholesterol, and 3 fractures in her lower back. Therefore, in an effort to provide these ramps that are so desperately needed, we are excited that the 2018 RAMPAGE season will kick off on March 31 with plans to build 6 ramps in the Central Florida area. www.cilorlando.org | ACCESS QUARTERLY
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Delicious Donation
On Tuesday, February 20th, over 30 people gathered at Blaze Pizza in Winter Park to participate in their giveback night. CIL staff, supporters, volunteers, board members, and friends all gathered to enjoy Blaze Pizza’s delicious offerings with a percentage of the sales going back to CIL! During the event, CIL set up a table at the front of the restaurant to provide event attendees with agency information, flyers, and giveaways promoting upcoming CIL events. CIL Board member Hector Del Valle was also on hand to talk to participants and visitors about CIL and the work we are doing in the community to improve accessibility and opportunities for people with disabilities. Members of CIL’s Stroll ‘n’ Roll committee stopped by throughout the night for a bite to eat and to talk about the event to held on Saturday, March 10.
CIL Board Member Hector Del Valle enjoys a slice of pizza at Blaze Pizza’s giveback night.
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By the end of the evening participants helped to raise over $100 that will go to funding CIL’s programs for people with disabilities in Central Florida. Thank you to everyone who supported us – we can’t do it without you!!
ACCESS QUARTERLY | SPRING EDITION
The Impact of Volunteers April is volunteer appreciation month and we want to highlight what a great job our volunteers have been doing! Volunteers help CIL staff, those we serve, and the community in many different ways. From job searching for consumers in the office, to making calls to consumers about new equipment that has come in, to building entire ramps, every volunteer broadens the scope of impact of CIL on consumers and the community. Without the time, energy, and dedication of volunteers CIL would not be able to achieve its mission! A special thanks to all the volunteers that came out to Stroll ‘n’ Roll, March 10, 2018, and helped to make it a great event.
Volunteers at Stroll ‘n’ Roll make signs to congratulate participants returning from the walk.
CIL is always looking for more volunteers. If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering, please sign up on our website. https://www.cilorlando.org/volunteer/
If you would like more information , please feel free to contact us. Stevey Panton Volunteer Coordinator spanton@cilorlando.org 407-623-1070 www.cilorlando.org | ACCESS QUARTERLY
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Finding work with a disability is a challenge at best, but past mistakes can complicate those challenges even further. Lorene was nearing the end of her rope. She was living at the Coalition for the Homeless but quickly approaching the 6-month limit when she would have to leave.To make matters worse she was running into complications in her job search. Lorene had a visual impairment that was interfering with her finding employment. Additionally, in her past she had made some mistakes that had resulted in her having a criminal record, and when looking for employment these items were disqualifying her from prospective employment. She was aware she’d made mistakes in her past, but was trying very hard to build a new life for herself. She worked with several agencies and eventually Vocational Rehabilitation sent her to CIL for employment placement assistance. CIL’s Aspire to Hire team looked into her situation and determined that she would be a good fit for a Federal Bonding Class. The bonding program allows employers to hire individuals with records with limited liability to their businesses. In order to enroll for the Federal Bonding program, Lorene needed to first register with the Employ Florida Marketplace. A CIL employment specialist met with her at the West CareerSource center and enrolled them both for the class. After completing the course Lorene was provided a letter verifying she had taken the class to become eligible for the program, along with instructions for employers about how to proceed if they want to hire someone through the program. The Aspire to Hire team began to send her resume and completion letter to prospective employers. With the letter, employers would know that even though Lorene had a background, she was also part of the Federal Bonding Program alleviating the employer’s hesitation to hire her. Soon after, she began receiving calls for interviews.
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ACCESS QUARTERLY | SPRING EDITION
While Lorene did very well in her interviews, she was not selected for hire. During her job search she took an opportunity at a local church that offered periodic work assisting in the parking lot during evening events. All the while the CIL team worked to find more suitable employment opportunities. Eventually CIL connected Lorene with the AARP training program for individuals over 55 that are unemployed.The AARP program would assign her to a non-profit agency for 20 hours weekly – paid. However due to her income from the church job, she was deemed ineligible for the program. But as they say, when one door closes, another opens, and thanks to her work for the church, she received a voucher for an apartment. Now she just needed a job to afford the expenses.
“God has blessed me by putting people like you in my way.”
To further increase her chances for employment, CIL staff worked with her to enroll in the Sealing and Records expungement program at Goodwill to help clear up her background record. Lorene completed the application for the Orange County Bar Association to review her case. They couldn’t expunge everything so Lorene worked with her employment specialist to identify the items that would be most beneficial to eliminate. While this was going on, Lorene’s resume and Federal Bonding Letter continued to be sent to prospective employers. She received an interview with Long John Silvers, and during the interview she openly spoke about her record and the process she was going through to turn her life around. The manager informed her that he would give her a provisional opportunity. Lorene called CIL and told the employment team the good news. The team then reached out to the manager at Long John Silvers thanked him for providing her the opportunity to work. The Aspire to Hire team then asked if the manager would consider giving her a firm job offer instead of just a trial. Happy to hear someone was advocating for Lorene, he agreed and said “now I know I was not wrong when I gave her the opportunity.” Lorene was nearly in tears when she heard the news. “God has blessed me by putting people like you in my way.” She had reached her goal to find a job so she could support herself. To date the management at Long John Silvers has been pleased with Lorene’s work, and CIL staff continue to coach and monitor her progress.
www.cilorlando.org | ACCESS QUARTERLY
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VISIT www.cilorlando.org to learn more
WINTER PARK OFFICE 720 N DENNING DRIVE WINTER PARK, FL 32789 PHONE: 407-623-1070
LAKELAND OFFICE 5125 S. LAKELAND DRIVE, SUITE 4 LAKELAND, FL 33814 PHONE: 863-413-2722
INFO@CILORLANDO.ORG