[NFBOH-Cleveland] FW: SIL AwareNews Spring 2020 Newsletter

Wed Apr 29 23:51:46 UTC 2020

From: Laura Gold <lgold at sil-oh.org> 
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2020 4:32 PM
To: Laura Gold <lgold at sil-oh.org>
Subject: SIL AwareNews Spring 2020 Newsletter

I am forwarding you SIL’s newsletter “AwareNews.  Please share it with others who may be interested.

Thank you,

Laura

Laura A. Gold, J.D.

Manager, Community Services

Services for Independent Living

26250 Euclid Avenue, Suite 801

Euclid, OH  44132

Voice Mail:  216.815.0015

Text:  216.389.2423

Email:  lgold at sil-oh.org

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AWARENEWS                      SPRING 2020 ISSUE

A LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Katherine Foley, LSW

As I sit down to write this note to you, I have so much to say and am not sure where to begin.   First of all, we at SIL want you to know that we are working remotely during these unique times and are just a phone call or email away!  We are taking advantage of technology to continue the majority of our services.  Our temporary general phone number is: 216-389-2392 or you can check out our website  <https://sil-oh.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6804a997d59f3677470373cad&id=c335326b81&e=36fa18a094> (sil-oh.org) for individual staff email addresses.  You are not alone!

Next……..it’s SIL’s 40th Anniversary!   Yes!  We are 40 years old!   Throughout those years, SIL has been a mainstay in the community providing services and supports to address barriers faced by persons with disabilities.  Our staff are caring and creative and truly believe in the agency vision of a society that is accessible for all.   As a result, services have evolved throughout the years to meet varying needs expressed by individual we work with.  Most recently, we have brought on a Leadership Academy to help individuals gain skills needed to fully participate on system change committees, community task forces and boards of directors in a meaningful way.  Our Healthy Lifestyles program helps people make good decisions about nutrition and health eating.  In addition, we are in the process of planning a Youth Leadership Forum which is so exciting!  More information on the forum is available in this newsletter.

You will also notice that our logo has changed!  After multiple comments from the community, we realized that we had outgrown the old logo.  In fact, it precluded people from contacting us because they thought we only worked with persons who used wheelchairs, which is not the case.  As we updated the logo, we also created an agency video which can be seen on our website.

And finally, I want to introduce Shannon Monyak to you.  Shannon is SIL’s Associate Director and currently oversees all individual services and quality assurance measures.  More importantly, Shannon will be taking over as Executive Director of SIL on July 1st as I will be retiring at the end of June. I have loved being part of this agency and am excited for the opportunities Shannon and her team will bring. Once the world returns to normal, and we are back in the office, please reach out to welcome her in her new position!

SIL'S RESPONSE TO COVID-19 

SIL Services During COVID-19 Pandemic: Our top priority is always the safety, health and well-being of our consumers, program participants and staff. SIL has been monitoring the evolving situation of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and following the recommendations of the CDC and the Ohio Governor's office. SIL's services and staff remain available to you to the extent possible. SIL staff are now working remotely, answering emails and returning messages. If you have questions or require assistance, please call 216-389-2392. Individual staff email addresses are available here. We also encourage you to like our Facebook and Twitter pages; we will continue to post messages.  Please stay safe and healthy.  Our full response is available  <https://sil-oh.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6804a997d59f3677470373cad&id=c3e18d80d5&e=36fa18a094> here.

Important Resources on COVID-19:

Administration for Community Living:   <https://sil-oh.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6804a997d59f3677470373cad&id=ce3f0122f0&e=36fa18a094> www.acl.gov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:   <https://sil-oh.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6804a997d59f3677470373cad&id=b997ad969b&e=36fa18a094> www.cdc.gov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Fact Sheet:   <https://sil-oh.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6804a997d59f3677470373cad&id=bc675e8c66&e=36fa18a094> https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf
Ohio Department of Health:  <https://sil-oh.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6804a997d59f3677470373cad&id=5c8c4b7480&e=36fa18a094>  www.coronavirus.ohio.gov 

SIL WELCOMES TWO NEW STAFF MEMBERS

SIL is very excited to announce the addition of two new staff members - India Jones (pictured left) and Simone Jones (pictured right)!  Please join us in welcoming them to the SIL team.

India Jones joined SIL in February 2020 as an Independent Living Specialist.  India has over ten (10) years of experience in the medical field working with individuals who are elderly and individuals with developmental disabilities.  She joined SIL because of her passion to help others. Her experience as a PCA Supervisor and Hiring Manager for Assisted Living Facilities has allowed her to obtain a wide range of transferable skills in assisting individuals with disabilities maintain independence and receive the type of care they deserve.  India is currently furthering her education in Nursing at Bryant and Stratton College.  In her spare time, India loves exploring the different art that can be found in the Cleveland Metroparks and in various art exhibits.

Simone Jones joined SIL in December 2019 as an Independent Living Specialist.  She received her Associate of Arts Degree from Cuyahoga Community College and her Bachelor's Degree in Social Work from Cleveland State University.  A licensed Social Worker since 2019, Simone is currently obtaining her Master's Degree in Social Work at Cleveland State University.  Simone's background is primarily in customer service and childcare.  Before coming to SIL, she was an administrator at a childcare facility.  In her spare time, she likes to read and spend time with her family. 

 <https://sil-oh.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6804a997d59f3677470373cad&id=4d4a3ffbfa&e=36fa18a094>                                                 <https://sil-oh.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6804a997d59f3677470373cad&id=4ad351a552&e=36fa18a094> 
YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM

Services for Independent Living is happy to announce its partnership with  <https://sil-oh.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6804a997d59f3677470373cad&id=9fe29dbb4b&e=36fa18a094> Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) and the  <https://sil-oh.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6804a997d59f3677470373cad&id=1433192b23&e=36fa18a094> Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council (OSILC) to bring the first ever regional  <https://sil-oh.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6804a997d59f3677470373cad&id=e6241f64b0&e=36fa18a094> Youth Leadership Forum to Cleveland!

As of now, in the light of COVID-19 and possible restrictions, the forum is scheduled for July 28-31st at the Parma Library located at 6996 Powers Blvd. in Parma.

Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) is designed for students with disabilities entering the 11th or 12th grade this school year that are interested in self-advocacy and leadership development. 

Over the course of the four-day forum, students will: 

*	Learn about choosing a career
*	Learn about available resources and assistive technology
*	Identify existing barriers to personal and professional success and develop plans to overcome those barriers
*	Interact with professionals with disabilities who serve as mentors and role models
*	Develop a personal leadership plan, which includes specific action steps to follow when you return to your community
*	Gain the power to reach your goals in education, employment and community leadership
*	Develop a social network with your peers

For more information, to stay updated, and to apply, please visit our  <https://sil-oh.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6804a997d59f3677470373cad&id=67a0d6d991&e=36fa18a094> website or contact Shannon Monyak at  <mailto:smonyak at sil-oh.org> smonyak at sil-oh.org. 

About SIL:  Services for Independent Living (SIL) is an independent living center charged with helping and empowering individuals with disabilities to lead healthy, productive lives and to be able to participate in community life as they choose. Our individual and community services are designed to promote independence. Since 1980, we have been working at local, state and federal levels to change governments and society’s perceptions of people with disabilities. SIL’s main focus is to support and assist individuals with disabilities to meet their personal goals; while encouraging and promoting personal and community advocacy.

We recognize that each person’s disability and life circumstances may pose unique challenges. Staff work with consumers to develop a plan to address their individual needs. Our experienced, dedicated and passionate team are often regarded as being able to think outside the box and pride themselves on excellent customer service.  

Please help to ensure our presence tomorrow with a gift today!   

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Our mailing address is: 

Services for Independent Living

26250 Euclid Avenue, # 801

Cleveland, Oh 44132

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