A Message from CFILC's Executive Director, Christina N. Mills |
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Dear Friends, Followers, Collaborators, and Allies,
First, let me take a moment to reflect and express my thoughts and gratefulness to you, our community, for your strength, support, and ongoing resilience. 2021 presented its own unique set of challenges, but together we continued to provide critical independent living services, support to one another, and we ensured that the disability voice was present and embedded throughout state policy discussions and priorities. It was both a demanding and fast-paced year of change, but we made it, and we’re looking forward to what is ahead in 2022.
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A special thank you to our members, donors, funders, supporters, staff, contractors, allies, and volunteers for your unwavering dedication. The work we do together is amazing and makes a difference. I am incredibly proud of our collective strength and deeply appreciative my team at CFILC.
We have made huge and impactful strides this year. Our collective organizing and advocacy to secure vaccine programmatic and physical access is among one of our biggest accomplishments. Let us not forget that together we ensured that disabled people were prioritized for vaccines, could receive their shots at home, or get an accessible ride to a vaccine clinic. We also were among the first agencies to host vaccine clinics at our offices and pilot clinics in partnership with FEMA.
In addition to our vaccine and pandemic work, CFILC is delighted to share that we have reached a new organizational milestone. For the first time in over a decade, CFILC now includes 25 ILC members and will continue to grow in 2022 with our new ally membership option.
Instead of hosting one annual conference, we hosted three. One on Assistive Technology in April, another on Behavioral Health in October, and our Annual Conference in December: #CenteringCommUnity which featured Governor Gavin Newsom as the opening speaker.
CFILC’s programs also continued to grow and thrive in 2021. We entered the second year of providing disaster and emergency services through our Disability Disaster Access & Resources (DDAR) program. The DDAR Centers have served over 2,300 applicants this year with services ranging from personalized disaster preparedness, portable backup battery deployment, Medical Baseline enrollment, food assistance, transportation to lodging support.
All of CFILC’s accomplishments could not have happened without your support. If you haven’t had a chance to visit or subscribe to our YouTube channel to view our archived program trainings, or YO! Disabled & Proud’s Leadership Series, please consider doing so. We've had some incredible guests join our events this year.
Please read below for additional announcements and event updates. As always, feel free to connect with CFILC on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Lastly, be on the look out for our new website in 2022.
I hope that you and your loved ones have a safe and peaceful holiday season. Let us not forget to check in on our friends and loved ones. The COVID-19 pandemic is still very real and impacts our community on an ongoing basis. Thank you for all that you do. I look forward to working in with you in the new year!
In solidarity,
Christina N. Mills
Executive Director
California Foundation for Independent Living Centers
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CFILC announces our new Program Coordinators! |
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CFILC is proud to announce the addition of our new Program Coordinators. Our coordinators are responsible for supporting CFILC’s programs by assisting with program logistics and coordination of activities, providing information, referrals and assistance to individuals, and the preparation of daily, monthly, and annual informational and statistical program reports. Welcome! |
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Congrats to Victor Mendoza. In November, Victor was promoted to Program Coordinator. Victor was born in San Clemente, CA, and moved to Sacramento in 2017 to pursue his education. Victor attended CSU Sacramento and received his bachelor’s degree in Sociology. |
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Anthony Lee (He/Him/His) is a 3rd-generation Hmong-American. He is deeply empowered by his ethnic identity, LGBTQ+ identity, and academia. Anthony is an AmeriCorps Alumni and has extensive experience working in the non-profit sector and digital media organizing. |
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Karenna Pullen has over five years of disability advocacy serving as a Program Assistant for CSU Sacramento’s Services to Students with Disabilities, a student advocate and committee member for students with disabilities at the CSU Chancellor’s Office, a direct support worker, working with children and adults in hippotherapy with Project R.I.D.E., and training service dogs. |
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Where It's AT: Ability Tools Holiday Blog |
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Online AT Shopping Tips!
Assistive Technology (AT) can be expensive, and it is not always covered by insurance or public resources. That is why it is crucial to use as many advantages you have at your disposal to get the best deal possible. With the holiday shopping season kicking into full gear, tactics to get a deal when shopping online are in order! Where it’s AT is here to help! Check out the full blog.
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Mark your calendars for our upcoming events! |
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CA Disaster Strategies Monthly Topic Call: Power Planning Resilience: Coping with Power Outages |
Thursday, January 13, 2022 at 10:30am (PST)
Understand, honor, and value the details, diversity, nuances, and complexity of the lived disability experience and survival strategies. Complete our brief survey to be added to our e-mail list and to receive the Zoom link.
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IHSS Advocacy and Organizing Series: Building Our Coalition |
Wednesday, January 19, 2022, at 1:30pm (PST).
We will focus on building the organizing effort around what we have seen as priority from the IHSS Consumer and Provider Survey, which is still open to the public.
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Ed Roberts Day Celebration! |
Sunday, January 23, 2022, at 5pm (PST)
Join our YO! Disabled and Proud youth leaders for the virtual Ed Roberts Day Celebration! Our leaders will be unveiling the Ed Roberts Oral History Project video -- a youth-led interview collection of stories of Ed Roberts' legacy from Disabled elders. We cannot wait to hear the fun stories and memories!
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Disabled Voices of Color Series: Mia Mingus |
Thursday, January 27, 2022, at 3pm (PST)
YO! Disabled and Proud is launching its inaugural Disabled Voices of Color Series with our first guest: Mia Mingus. Mia Mingus is a writer, educator and trainer for transformative justice and disability justice. She is a queer physically disabled Korean transracial and transnational adoptee raised in the Caribbean. Mia founded and currently leads SOIL: A Transformative Justice Project which builds the “soil” for transformative justice to grow and thrive
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Subscribe to CFILC on YouTube: CFILC 1982 |
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Have you visited CFILC's YouTube channel recently? Subscribe today and enjoy our archived program trainings and events! |
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1000 G Street, #100
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-325-1690
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