What’s New at Caring & Sharing Center for Independent Living, Inc. (CASCIL)?
August, 2009

The lazy days of summer are almost over but CASCIL has been very busy growing our programs, our team and our center!

New Board Members:
CASCIL would like to take this opportunity to welcome our three newest members to our board:
Rhonda Abbott, Director of Social Services, City of St. Petersburg
Barb Page, Senior Advocate/Investigator, Advocacy Center
Tim Garling, Executive Director, PSTA

They were elected to our board on June 18, 2009 and we look forward to the expertise and guidance they will bring to our organization.

Our Home Modifications has taken on a whole new look. Please welcome Mark Haney. He joined our team and will focus on helping consumers with Home Modifications. CASCIL will be using his energy to put a more public face on the housing issues that face our consumer’s everyday. Stay tuned for more info….

Now seeking your input:
The CASCIL Board of Directors has made changes to the organization’s by-laws to stay in keeping with the proactive strategic planning and changes taking place. A new Consumer Advisory Committee has been established to gather input for the organization’s direction.  If you are interested in serving on this committee please contact the CASCIL Public Liaison Doug Towne for more information.

Program Updates:
Our Work With Me! program has experienced tremendous growth.  Over 90 referrals since March attending our new Employability Skills training. This is a free program for people with disabilities who want to work – either part-time or full-time. You’ll be assisted to find and maintain an appropriate job using your skills, interests and abilities. Call us today to find out if this program is right for you!

Medicaid and Medicare help for our consumers! Thanks to a new cooperative agreement between CASCIL and the Area Agency on Aging. CASCIL will have a SHINE program volunteer councilor on site.  Roger Baxter is specially trained to help resolve issues related to the Medicare and Medicaid systems. Call today for an appointment!

The Business Advisory Council (BAC), is making tremendous progress with approximately 16 people, representing 11 businesses and agencies, meets for one-hour each month to assist CASCIL with the Projects With Industry grant.  The BAC provides a wealth of knowledge and information about the business world.  In just the past three months, they have provided labor market information; marketing ideas; additional suggestions for referral sources; advice about operations, and assistance to find appropriate individuals to join the BAC.  Interested parties are invited to call Kim Furrow, at 539-7550 ext. 234, to find out more information or to join the BAC.

Adaptive Fitness Expo takes place Saturday, October 10, 2009 at Walter Fuller Park from 10AM – 2PM.  Park is located at 7883 26th Avenue North St. Petersburg, 33710.  The new location provides ability for exhibitors and participants to enjoy air conditioning at the event.  Come join us for our 9th annual event!

News from Pasco County
Caring and Sharing has been active in building community partnerships and collaborations during the past several months, visits and presentations have been made to the CARES program, Lighthouse for the Blind of Pasco, Deaf Service Center and the West Pasco Vocational; Rehabilitation offices. We are working together on several mutual consumers to enhance their independence.

CASCIL has also been selected to serve on the Pasco Board of Directors for Transportation Disadvantaged. This is a 3 year appointment. We have been active in the Pasco County School’s POST program serving those students with disabilities in transition from school to work and have presented at a Parent Teacher Educational Conference. In addition, several meetings have been held with the County’s Exceptional Education Program management staff to develop positive working relationships designed to enhance students with disabilities educational outcomes. We also have begun to work with the Pasco Emergency Operations to assist the County in preparations for dealing with its citizens with disabilities and were recognized, at a recent conference for our work by the Disability Task Force from the State Department of Health

New Projects:
CASCIL, in conjunction with the Film company Choose Interactive Learning, completed shooting an interactive training video for law enforcement on how to properly work with people with many types of disabilities. The project will be available to law enforcement agencies in the fall.
The CASCIL/ PSTA Paratransit Eligibility Project is proceeding on schedule. Two public forums were held to gather input from the DART rider community. The coalition now includes many of the counties leading disability and elder organizations.
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX has asked Caring & Sharing to participate in another project, Second Life. This is the first web-based project to enable women with physical disabilities all over the world to create avatar characters.  These virtual characters will be used to act out situations that build self-esteem.  Baylor faculty recruited Kathy Lentz to assist with this worthy project.  Kathy has assisted Baylor with several workshops to promote self-esteem in women with physical disabilities.

CASCIL has distributed forty “All Hazards Weather Alert Radios” to our deaf consumers.  These radios have two accessories – under the pillow vibrator and strobe light – to alert the consumers that bad weather is approaching.  In addition, thirty were given to the Tampa Bay Deaf and Hearing Connection and ten donated to the Family Center on Deafness.

In 2003 the Florida Legislature created the “Bikers Care Tag” to help support programs at the Florida Association of Centers for Independent Living, the Florida Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program, Prevent Blindness, the Blindness Foundation and the Personal Care Attendant Program.  Caring & Sharing has presented 5 nicely framed posters to the Pinellas County Tax Collector area offices and 5 posters to several local motorcycle businesses. We plan to continue to raise awareness of this program and the red, white and blue motorcycle specialty tags.

Free Hurricane Lantern!

Caring and Sharing in conjunction with Pinellas County Emergency Management would like to offer our consumers and the local community the opportunity to own for free, a beautiful hurricane lantern that you can store away for the next hurricane season. You will also receive the official hurricane guide for Pinellas County.

If you would like to own a hurricane lantern, please call: Angela 727-577-0065 ext. 238,

email angela@cascil.org

or drop by 12552 Belcher Road South, Largo, FL 33773

To Locate the nearest Independent Living Center go to the

Virtual CIL Website

• Service Eligibility

  CASCIL serves persons with disabilities and their families who reside in Pinellas and Pasco counties. Most services are free of charge to consumers.

  
  

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