Coming This Summer! Emergency Preparedness Overnight in Somerset County

ACI along with the Somerset Office of Emergency Management, FEMA and other stakeholders are planning the 2nd Overnight Shelter Simulation to take place in Somerset County this summer. Approximately 50 adults with disabilities will spend the night in a shelter staffed by volunteers from agencies engaged in emergency response operations during a disaster.

The purpose of the exercise is to familiarize disabled members of the community with an overnight shelter experience while providing volunteers who set and staff shelters during a disaster with an opportunity to understand and better assist the needs of individuals with disabilities in a disaster.

Watch for opportunities to take part in this important exercise.

This event is made possible by a grant from PSEG. We are grateful for their support.

ACI's New Program Coordinator, Monica Avisado!

ACI welcomes Monica Avisado from the Middlesex County Center for Empowerment, who will be working with us 2 days a week beginning in this month. ACI and the Middlesex County Center for Empowerment were awarded a 3 year federal grant from the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). We look forward to working together on this important issue!

Valentine's Day Movie Night

On February 13th, ACI's Social Recreation Program held a Valentine's Day Movie Night! More than 25 people joined in on the fun as we watched 50 First Dates, played Valentine's Day trivia games, all while enjoying pizza and candy. We're glad that everyone had a great time!

Be sure to follow our Upcoming Events page for more Social Rec events!

ACI Collaborates with University of Montana Rural Institute for Disability Abuse Project

ACI is pleased to be participating in the University of Montana Rural Institute research project, "Partnering with People with Intellectual Disabilities to Address Violence" otherwise known as "The Safety Project." The project, funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, will develop and test the efficacy of an abuse education program for adults with intellectual disabilities. ACI looks forward to collaborating on this important project.

Middlesex County Board Approves Audio Crosswalk Signals in Fords

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On February 5th, ACI office assistant, Argenys Caba, testified at the Middlesex County Board of Freeholders meeting regarding installation of audio crosswalk signals along Amboy Avenue in Fords, NJ. The board approved the installation, which would allow people with visual and other disabilities cross the busy street safely and independently. Congratulations Argenys!

ACI and Partners Make Home Accessibility Improvements for NJ Residents

ACI, along with Portlight Strategies, Inc. and the Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity, recently improved the accessibility in the homes of three New Jersey residents with disabilities. These improvements were made with the help of ACI's project director, Sue Pniewski, and financed with the help of the ACI Housing fund.

 

VIRGINIA

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Virginia on her brand new steps!

Meet Virginia, a single woman who lives in Jackson, NJ. She is 76 years old and suffers from chronic, severe back pain, and it is because of this pain that Virginia is forced to use a walker to help her get around better. When she submitted her application to NOHFH, Virginia explained that she was in need of a better way to exit her home because she was so afraid of falling when she tried to use her walker. After discussing the options of either a ramp or widened steps with Virginia, she chose the steps because she felt the ramp would just be too much for her and she doesn’t feel she is going to require a wheelchair. Thanks to the partnership formed between Portlight Strategies, ACI and Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity, Virginia is now able to safely exit her home with the assistance of her walker without fear of falling down her steps!

 

BARBARA AND MARY

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Completed bathroom entryway, grab bar and sink.

Meet the Marshall Sisters. Barbara is 72 years old and suffers from a broken left shoulder; her sister, Mary, is 76 years old and currently battling bone cancer that has left her unable to walk. When the Marshalls submitted their application to NOHFH in January 2014, they were requesting that the bathroom be made accessible because Mary’s wheelchair could not fit through the bathroom door. At the time they submitted, NOHFH’s A Brush with Kindness program had more applications than funding. Thanks to the partnership formed between Portlight Strategies, ACI and Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity, Barbara and Mary can now safely and comfortably utilize their bathroom and shower!

ACI Coupon Book Fundraiser presented by SaveAround!

SaveAround is a family owned and operated company that focuses on helping various schools and organizations, such as ACI, raise funds for their causes.

Coupon books are $20.00 each and feature thousands of dollars in savings for many stores in either Central Jersey or along the Jersey Shore, including Kmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Bed Bath & Beyond, Michaels, Party City and many more! Offers are valid now through December 2015.

To order a coupon book, please contact Argenys Caba at acaba@adacil.org or 732-738-4388 ext. 113. Proceeds from all coupon book sales benefit ACI!