Alliance Center for Independence
This past Friday, ACI hosted a vigil to honor the lives of disabled people murdered by families and caretakers. The vigil addressed violence against people with disabilities and spoke out against cultural prejudices to send a message that disability is not a justification for violence. Our lives are worth living!
On March 3rd, ACI once again partnered with St. Peter's University Hospital to provide blood pressure and blood sugar level screenings to the community. 16 people participated in the event, which also included providing information on the risks of high blood pressure and high sugar diets. Thank you to Tara Gunthner, BSN, RN-BC of the hospital's Community Mobile Health Services and Gary Young, Health Technician.
Following our successful winter fundraiser, ACI will be selling $1.00 shamrocks to be hung (with your name) on our office window! So if you are in the area, feel free to stop in and buy some shamrocks! Can't get to the office? Buy your shamrocks through our PayPal account and we will hang them for you! All proceeds go directly to support our programs.
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 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!
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 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.
