Our History...

Some know us as LIFE Center for Independent Living and others know us as LIFE CIL

After it was announced in The Pantagraph on July 26, 1985, that we had received a grant from the Illinois Department of Rehabilitation to “open a Center for Independent Living to serve McLean County residents”, LIFE CIL opened its doors on September 3, 1985.

LIFE CIL’s first Board of Directors consisted of ten individuals with disabilities and five without. Our historic board included Paulette Goeken, Facilitator; Bob Blackburn, Ray Cheever, Kevin Cooper, Lila Eschenfelder, Helen Fuller, Sue Gibson, Peter Klitzke, Ming-Gon John Lian, Kaye McDonald, Brian McKenna, Jim Sergey, Judy Smithson, Frank Volle, and Earl Willing.

At the time of opening, there were three full-time staff and two part-time staff who offered services such as awareness and education, advocacy, personal care training and interpreters for people with any type of disability. Goeken stated in the Daily Vidette, “People must remember that no matter what your disability is, the person has a choice as to what he wants to do and can make his own decisions”.

After continuing those values and providing services in Bloomington for 18 years, LIFE CIL opened a branch office in Pontiac in 2003. LIFE CIL has changed the lives of many individuals and their families over the last 36 years. We continue providing our programs and services across the four counties we now serve.