How to Supercharge Your 2023 Donation to CIF!

Big news from the Center for Independent Futures fundraising– we’ve got two superhero donors this holiday season! These generous champions have donned their philanthropic capes and are swooping in to make your donations count double!

Picture this: when you give $1000 or more to CIF, our superhero donors are there, matching it dollar for dollar. It’s like a power-up for your generosity!

Is a thousand too much of a stretch? Here’s option #2! If you open your own donation page on CIF’s fundraising platform – and your page TOTALS $1000 by midnight on New Year’s Eve, this donor will match your total just like a single gift! Click here to set up your personal fundraising page!

So, gear up, grab your capes (or credit cards), and let’s make a difference together. Your support doesn’t just get matched; it gets supercharged!

Let’s show the world the power of giving and make 2023 the year CIF soars to new heights! Click here to donate today! 

Why Sign Up for the Chicago Marathon in 2021?

Why do runners sign up for the Chicago Marathon with Team CIF?

Because we have hope.

Hope in a future where we can gather.

Hope in a future where everyone’s dreams are valued.

Hope in a future where individuals with disabilities live independently, building the lives they want.

We Have Never Lost Hope

UncertA group of supporters cheer on the Independent Futures' Chicago Marathon runners, known as Team CIFainty filled our world in 2020 and has spilled over into 2021. When will we be able to gather together? When will we get vaccines? When will our lives feel normal again?

Planning events and gatherings for 2021 is another challenge that has left us with so many questions. How far out is long enough? Will enough vaccine be available for everyone? Will they hold or cancel the 2021 Chicago Marathon?

At Independent Futures, we continue to be cautious, but we have never lost hope. Our community is strong but tired of isolation. So in 2021, we will host monthly virtual zoom “fun-raisers.” We will gather virtually for Drag Bingo Night, Wine Tasting events, and much more! 

Still, almost every day, participants, their family members, and staff ask, “When will we see each other again in real life?”

Who Will Train and Fundraise in 2021?

In this time of uncertainty, who will put in the effort required to train for a 26.2 mile run with the threat of cancellation hanging over them? Who will work to raise at least $1,250 as part of being on a charity team?

A runner, a participant, and a supporter pose on the Chicago Marathon course

Board members, family, staff, and friends have signed up! Thirteen runners have committed to run because they know that the lives of individuals with disabilities can not wait. Eight runners from TeamCIF who registered for the 2020 Chicago Marathon have rolled over their entries to 2021, and five new team members have registered.

Team CIF runners understand the impact our programs have on the lives of our participants. Jim Ducayet is a father of two participants, an Independent Futures Board Member, and a first-time TeamCIF runner. He said, “Running the 2021 Chicago Marathon this year just feels right. There have been so many events we missed in 2020. I’m excited to train and fundraise for something so positive and meaningful. Full lives can’t wait!” 

Our Impact in a Virtual World

Our runners know that Independent Futures has responded to these difficult times by moving forward with hope and purpose in the face of so much uncertainty. 

  •         My Full Life™, the most comprehensive system for supporting person-centered learning, has introduced new virtual skill certifications that provide live, teacher-led instruction for participants to work on independent living skills remotely.
  •         New Futures Initiative™, our signature housing training workshop, is piloting a new virtual format. Virtual learning allows families anywhere in the country to benefit from our extensive experience in developing housing for independent living.
  •         Independent Futures’ tutors have tirelessly supported local individuals throughout the pandemic to stay safe, manage stress and frustration, and continue to live independent lives. 

Join Us in the Chicago Marathon!

A Chicago Marathon runner poses in front of the Chicago skyline after the raceThere is still time to join TeamCIF! Now isn’t the time to sit and wait. Email Joanie if you are interested in running with us. Many of our TeamCIF members are first-time marathoners, and all team members receive training support and help fundraising.

Not a runner? As the big event gets closer, we will give you opportunities to donate to our runners. Supporters can also join our volunteer club to make cards to encourage the runners as they train. We all hope to join TeamCIF at the Charity Mile to cheer for everyone in October!

Buy Tickets To Brews & Bites Today

At Independent Futures, we are delighted to announce that Brews & Bites will be taking the place of our annual Something’s Cooking fundraiser. On October 20th, join us at Evanston Art Center from 3:00 – 6:00 for a great time! Read more to find out what’s new in 2019, the cost of tickets, and who you’ll find at Brews & Bites.

What’s New in 2019?

While we hope the community enjoyed attending Something’s Cooking for the past 15 years, we decided it was time for some exciting changes – starting with its name. This new, updated event is now Brews & Bites, a community gathering of Evanston’s favorite local restaurants with one more big addition.

Brews & Bites will also feature local Chicagoland breweries. Each participating brewery is donating tastings of their favorite fall beers! We will be joined by 9 local breweries including: Adams Street Brewery, Kings & Convicts, Ravinia Beer Company, Revolution Beer, Sketchbook Brewing, Smylie Bros., Temperance Beer Co., The Lagunitas Brewing Co, and Ten Ninety.

The tasting portion of Brews & Bites is possible largely thanks to Byline Bank. Thanks to Byline Bank, we are able to expand Something’s Cooking into an even more engaging community event celebrating Evanston’s vibrant food scene.

How To Get Your Tickets to Brews & Bites

We are offering an early bird price for limited duration of 3 weeks this year. From now until October 6th, the early bird adult tickets will be $60. Adult tickets will then be $75 until the day before Brews & Bites. Day-of tickets purchased at the door will be $85.

For students and young adults under 26, tickets will be $30. Children 10 and under may attend free of charge. 

Go to this link to purchase your tickets today.

Brews & Bites: Looking to the Future

As Independent Futures looks toward this organization’s own future, we are exploring ways to stay true to our mission while updating our work for the new decade. Brews & Bites is one of the first steps we are taking to move into the future, successfully supporting as many individuals as we can. 

5 Tips for School Success This Year

An apple on top of books with blackboard in background, indicating school successThe school year is almost here, and our Resource Partners at Oak Wealth Advisors, LLC, offers their advice for having school success. Take a look at our favorite tips below, and read the full list at this link.

  1. Seek knowledge. Children with well-informed families tend to have more success in school than those who don’t educate themselves about available resources. You can check out Center for Independent Futures’ resources page, ask the school’s guidance counselor, or check out tips from special education teachers’ blogs.
  2. Share praise frequently. School staff members who know their efforts are appreciated are going to be more receptive to new ideas and be more positively predisposed toward your child. Your whole family will benefit from a positive relationship with school administrators and educators.
  3. Request IEP drafts before meetings. Knowing in advance what the school has seen in your child’s development before your IEP meeting is beneficial in many ways. You will have time to absorb any bad news and to generate ideas for alternative approaches to challenges. (For more information on creating inclusive person-centered IEPs, check out our newest back-to-school blog.)
  4. Keep good records. Detailed records of your child’s past goals and achievements are very important. These documents can remind you of school success and act as a reference when issues arise. Your good records will have great value.
  5. Plan for transition before your school initiates the discussion. Thinking ahead about adult goals and life skills as early as middle school will allow for a more productive transition process and increased clarity in goals at the start of high school so that the final years of school can be as productive as possible.

Oak Wealth Advisors logoTo read the rest of the list and to see other resources from Oak Wealth Advisors, click here. Oak Wealth Advisors was founded to provide families with members with disabilities experienced financial advice and investment management services. To learn more about the services Oak Wealth Advisors provide, visit www.oakwealth.com.

How to Reduce Costs of Care Without Sacrificing Quality

Families of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities face many difficult decisions. From choosing how to manage care to determining how an individual can live in the community, none of these decisions are easy. But it is possible to reduce costs without sacrificing the quality of care.

Determining What Supports Are Necessary

Man holds out microphone to young woman in front of small audience.Happiness is one factor in many families’ decisions. The costs associated with care are another concern. According to data from 2009, the average cost of a person with disabilities living in an institution was more than $180,000 a year. For someone living in a community-based setting with supports, the cost is closer to $42,000 per year. 

These home and community-based services costs are averages and don’t reflect how costs are distributed. When individuals need more support, it is possible that community-based care could cost more. But for many individuals, learning life skills reduces costs by decreasing the amount of support needed for everyday activities. 

For families who aren’t sure independent living is an option, a life skills assessment is a great place to start. An assessment can help you and your loved one understand where they need more support. This helps your family can decide what care costs your loved one truly needs.

How Learning Independent Living Skills Reduces Costs

Photo of two women smiling, one a direct service professional and one a participant.When direct service professionals focus on teaching life skills, such as cooking healthy meals and cleaning their home, an individual’s need for support in skill areas decreases. Learning life skills like these doesn’t only help individuals with disabilities maintain their spaces. It also helps them build community connections and employment skills.

Increased skill capacities have the potential to reduce staffing costs and limit the need for support. In fact, an Independent Futures direct service team member shares, “After learning life skills, the hope is that an individual is able to reduce tutoring hours. And most of our participants are able to do so, saving money and living independently as a result.”

While most individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities will always require support, their potential remains limitless. By using life skills tutoring and person-centered planning, new windows of opportunity are within reach.

Impact of Person-Centered Planning

Person-centered planning takes place when direct service professionals account for the individual’s existing skills, hopes, and dreams. This type of care results in individuals setting their own goals and learning the skills they need to achieve their dreams.

That is just one benefit of person-centered plans though. In addition to self-directed goals, individuals with disabilities seem to have fewer requests for specialized care. Part of the reason why could be related to what funds are used for when a person’s hopes and dreams are considered. 

Volunteer supports participant in volunteer activityHome and community-based services funds have the potential to be used for a number of non-medical needs. Supports like employment help, remote monitoring equipment, and peer services aren’t traditionally covered. But with home and community-based services, access grows. Each of these supports can help an individual with disabilities achieve their dream of living in a community.

Reduced Costs and Independent Futures

For most people, moving out of our family’s home is something we look forward to excitedly. Finding the perfect apartment or house, decorating it to fit our own style, and having new freedoms changes someone’s life. Many individuals with disabilities have this same dream. 

Knowing that loved ones are able to advocate for themselves will provide you with renewed peace of mind. Learning independent living skills and living in the community means families of adults with disabilities can reduce costs without sacrificing quality and rest easy. 

 

Teaching Life Skills: Our Partnership with Lake Zurich Schools

To reach more individuals with disabilities and help them lead full lives, we work to get our tools for teaching life skills into the hands of creative transition teachers. After seeing a presentation by our school and agency experts, teachers at Lake Zurich High School knew that our My Full Life™ curriculum was the resource they needed.

Visualizing a Full Life

Lake Zurich School District logo with teal background and blue globe surrounded by four differently colored icons of people.Using our Full Life Model™, transition teachers at Lake Zurich help their students set goals and identify obstacles. “I love the visual representation of all of the areas of a full life,” said Annamarie Bader, special education teacher. “I feel like this gives us the structure to help students identify the goals they will need to work on to have a full life. It helps us concentrate on each student’s hopes and dreams.”

Annamarie taught in a self-contained classroom in California for 15 years before returning to work in Lake Zurich’s transition program. In the Lake Zurich transition program for students with disabilities, students spend half of their day in the classroom learning life skills like cooking and goal setting. The remaining half of the day is typically spent out in the community, instead of in the classroom.

“Our students prepare for their futures by going out to the grocery store, eating out at restaurants, and doing some recreational activities. Getting students out into the community, and having access to those resources is beneficial for their goals. Other times, students go out to job sites to gain work experience with a job coach. We’re pretty busy!”

Teaching Life Skills for Independence

A teacher in front of their classroom, photographed from the students' perspective.The Independent Futures’ curriculum, My Full Life, equips transition teachers with the resources they need to save time. With these lesson plans, learning is more targeted to students’ specific needs. “When you are teaching life skills, you are pulling material from everywhere,” Annamarie said. “My Full Life helps me keep track of my students’ accomplishments.”  

With our online application, Lake Zurich students may use computers or mobile devices to engage in the learning process, set specific goals, create action plans, and track progress. “Because the curriculum is online, they can easily access it on their iPads,” observed Annamarie. “It’s so great for everybody, but specifically for our students who are visual learners.” According to Center for Independent Futures’ School and Agency Consultant Marney Orchard, “It is great to see the young adults at Lake Zurich discovering new things about themselves and making plans for their futures.”

Impacting Students’ Futures

woman leaning over to help student at a computerAll of the components of My Full Life result in real improvements in students’ lives. Annamarie can use My Full Life to track IEP goals, conduct skill assessments, and see each component of full lives. And students can take this information with them into their future. “It’s helpful to have something for students to take with them after leaving the program at 22,” Annamarie explained.

Asked if she has seen its influence directly, Annamarie explained, “I absolutely have! It all starts with focusing on hopes and dreams. I am working with a student who wants to take college classes. Using the self-determination, goal setting, and action planning resources, he is advocating for his dreams.”

Success Stories

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