News Flash!

WHEEL-A-THON 2008

LIFE Center for Independent Living's Third Annual Wheel-A-Thon was held on Saturday, April 19th at IWU's Shirk Center Indoor Track. The center collected over $15,000 in sponsorships, raffles and donations. The money will be used to support LIFE Center's services throughout the four-county service area.

Thank you to all of the sponsors for the event! - WJBC, The Pantagraph, AirTran Airways, Sam's Club, State Farm, Bank of Illinois, Brady Property Management, Illinois Wesleyan University, LaGondola Spaghetti House, McDonald's, OSF St. James Hospital, Westminster Village, Caterpillar, Commerce Bank, Country Insurance, Misty Hall and Anne Stewart - Sign Language Interpreters, Americall Communications, CEFCU, Creative Technical Systems, DMi Technology Group, Doug Davis - Country Insurance Agent, Guitar World, Heartland Bank, Mid-America Insurance, PIP Printing, Select Screen Prints, Shive-Hattery, and Tom Brokaw - State Farm Insurance Agent.

Thank you to the churches and businesses who loaned wheelchairs for the event! Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped put together the event! Thank you to all of the local businesses who contributed donations for our raffle and prizes! We really value your generousity and support!

Click here to view pictures of this year's event.

Please take a moment to complete our Wheel-A-Thon survey. Thank you.

We hope to see you at next year's Wheel-A-Thon!

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We now accept Pay Pal for memberships, donations, and Wheel-A-Thon pledges!
Click on the icon below to make your payment.

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LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS

We're looking for volunteers who would be willing to train for a new puppet troupe. We are collaborating with Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department to implement the Kids on the Block program. This is a program to educate children about people with disabilities. To find out more about Kids on the Block, go to their website. The troupe meets Mondays at 6:00 pm in the Bloomington office conference room. Anyone interested should contact Marianne or call 309/663-5433 or toll free 888/543-3245 V/TTY.

Volunteer opportunity: Kids on the Block puppet troupe
Start/end dates: Ongoing – but anticipate most shows will be during school year
Skills needed: Enthusiastic, like to work with children, able to memorize scripts, able to manipulate puppets, and able to carry materials. All volunteers must be 14+ and complete a volunteer application. Drivers must have valid license and insurance.
Duties: Attend initial training, attend regular practices, memorize scripts, transport materials to and attend community education events.
Hours: Hours will vary greatly depending on requests for presentations. Practices to be set by troupe members. Presentations should last approximately 2 hours.

LIFE Center has reorganized their volunteer program. We are currently looking for volunteers who would be interested in the following positions:

Clerical Support
Custodian/Maintenance Support
Personal Assistants/Drivers
Workshop Facilitators
Peer Mentors
Accessibility Auditors
Board of Directors/Standing Committee Member

All volunteers are required to submit a completed volunteer application. Volunteer job descriptions and new volunteer applications are available by contacting Marianne.

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HAVING TROUBLE HEARING ON THE PHONE?

Illinois has a program to help! You can get a FREE amplified phone through the Illinois Telecommunications Access Corp. (ITAC). It's easy to qualify.

You must:

be a legal resident of Illinois;
have your doctor or audiologist sign that you are hard-of-hearing;
have standard phone service in your residence.

There are no age or income restrictions.

You can get more information and try the phones at either of LIFE Center's offices. To receive an application, you can contact either of LIFE Center's offices or go to the ITAC website.

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Our Mission

LIFE Center for Independent Living advances equality and integration of all persons with disabilities. To achieve this mission, we:

Promote local, state and national advocacy
Educate persons with disabilities about their rights and responsibilities
Provide support services
Raise community awareness about disability issues

in DeWitt, Ford, Livingston and McLean Counties.

Who We Serve

LIFE Center for Independent Living serves persons of all ages with all kinds of disabilities in DeWitt, Ford, Livingston and McLean Counties in Illinois. We also provide community services that promote accessibility and break down attitudinal barriers.

Hours of Operation

Bloomington: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, Monday through Friday

Pontiac: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, Monday through Thursday

You may request appointments during evening hours if needed. LIFE Center also offers workshops, and hosts disability support groups during evening and weekend hours. Press the Center Activities button on the left to view our calendar of events.

More About LIFE Center

LIFE Center for Independent Living is a community-based, not-for-profit, non-residential organization that was founded in 1985. LIFE Center promotes disability rights, equal access, and full community participation for persons with disabilities. We empower individuals with disabilities to take charge of their lives and make their own choices and decisions in order to be as self-sufficient as possible. We lead efforts to break down barriers and prejudices within our communities. When these barriers are removed and prejudices are replaced with positive attitudes, persons with disabilities will have equal access to society. LIFE Center is associated with a national movement of almost 500 Centers for Independent Living. These Centers are advocacy-based organizations governed and operated by persons with disabilities for persons with disabilities.

Contact Us

Press the "Contact Us" button on the left to contact individual staff members.

Home Office

LIFE Center for Independent Living
2201 Eastland Drive, Suite 1
Bloomington, IL 61704

Phone: 309/663-5433 (Voice/TTY)
TTY Phone: 309/663-0054
Toll-Free Phone: 888/543-3245
FAX: 309/663-7024

Branch Office

LIFE Center for Independent Living
741 West Washington Street, Suite 3
Pontiac, IL 61764

Phone: 815/844-1132 (Voice/TTY/VRS)
FAX: 815/844-1148

For hearing persons to call a TTY user, call 711 for TTY relay operator, give the name and TTY number of the person you are calling. The operator will direct you further.

For hearing persons to call a Video Phone user, call 1-866/327-8877 for VP relay operator, give the name and VP number of the person you are calling. The operator will direct you further.

A member of
Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living

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