On January 28th, ACI hosted a workshop on public speaking, presented by Woodbridge Toastmasters Club. 12 participants learned about the value of public speaking and the skills needed to be an effective speaker in any situation. Thank you to Stephanie Miller and Paul Danielczyk, ACB, of the Woodbridge Toastmasters for the informative presentation!
We are planning on forming a chapter of Toastmasters. For more information, please contact ACI.
Recently, 7 individuals completed an 8 week course on safety and abuse prevention. The classes, conducted by ACI staff, are part of a large nation-wide study to increase the safety knowledge and skills of people with intellectual disabilities conducted by the University of Montana. ACI is one of only 13 independent living centers selected throughout the country to partner with the University on this project.
ACI recently partnered with Stacey Murphy of the Somerset County Office of Emergency Management to conduct a second Overnight Emergency Shelter Simulation at the Hillsborough Municipal Complex from Friday, November 20th to Saturday, November 21st. 53 people with disabilities, as well as 26 emergency personnel, CERT members and volunteers from Somerset County took part in the event.
"This was a terrific collaboration between ACI and Somerset County OEM," says Carole Tonks, ACI Executive Director. "We all learned a lot from each other."
We would like to thank PSEG for making this exercise possible!
Our recent Holiday Food Drive has been a huge success! Thank you to everyone who donated food, shampoos, health and beauty products, Depends, and other items. A special thank you goes out to the Middlesex Center for Empowerment and the Division of Disability Services for their generous donations! We are so grateful for all of your support this this time of year. Our pantry is now fully stocked with a items, including frozen bacon and chicken. If you are someone with a disability or have family member with a disability and are experiencing financial difficulties, please contact us.
AXIS Dance Company, an integrated dance troupe based in California, recently toured New Jersey, performing at the Performing Arts Center in Newark, and conducting workshops at Lakeview School and the Minnie B. Veal Community in Edison.
The Symposium on Dance & Disability with the AXIS Dance Company was presented by Rutger University's Clement A. Price Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience, and the Alliance Center for Independence through funding from the the National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA).
"We were so fortunate to have such a talented and renown company of dancers sharing their skills and expertise with us in NJ", says Marisa Pierson, Senior Program Coordinator at Rutger's Price Institute and chief organizer of the symposium.
Several ACI volunteers recently completed a series of independent living workshops that focused on shopping and meal preparation. Topics included healthy eating, how to read product labels, comparison shopping, budgeting and menu planning. Travel training was incorporated into the classes thanks to the NJ Travel Independence Program (NJTIP). Participants also enjoyed an informative shopping experience at ShopRite of Edison, whose staff provided assistance and help them become familiar with the store.
