Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is inviting everyone to their Lunch in the Dark Fundraising event, on Thursday, April 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It will take place in the gymnasium of the New York State School for the Blind, 2A Richmond Ave., Batavia, NY.

Participants will experience lunch in a darkened environment in order to better understand eating and socializing with vision loss.  As a group, we will talk about the best practices for making events with food more accessible, as well as strategies for eating with vision loss.  With a donation requested of $50 per ticket, the event includes a 50/50 split drawing and a Basket Raffle.

The BOCES Culinary class will do the catering with a menu including Italian Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Vegetable Medley (Carrots, Cauliflower, Broccoli), Risotto Cakes, and Panna Cotta.

To RSVP, contact Catherine DeMare at 585-815-8501, Ext. 400.

Corporate sponsorships are available at three levels: Gold ($750); Silver ($500) and Bronze ($250), with increasing benefits and degrees of promotion for the business as one goes up the levels.  Individual donations of any amount are accepted as well.  Full details are available from Rae Frank, ILGR Director, at 585-815-8501, Ext. 406.  All proceeds will assist in providing services and programs which offer independence, empowerment, and equality for individuals with disabilities in Genesee, Wyoming, and Orleans Counties!

 

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is excited to announce our very first in-person event since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic! Join us in celebrating the 31^st anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act with our 2nd Annual Walk, Run & Roll!

The event takes place Monday, July 26, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Pavilion 2 of DeWitt Recreation Area, 115 Cedar St. in Batavia, rain or shine.

To register, go to runsignup.com/ilgrwalkrunroll.

For $25, participants can walk, run or roll the distance of their choosing. All participants receive an event T-shirt.

Food trucks will be present, plus a basket raffle, a 50/50 raffle and a caricature artist.

Please bring your own chair! COVID-19 guidelines will be followed.

For more information, call Donna Becker at (585) 815-8501, ext. 411.

Thanks to our sponsors: BW’s Restaurant and Banquet Facility, United Refining Company, RESTORE Sexual Assault Services, R.A. Haitz Co. Inc., Assemblyman Stephen Hawley, GEICO, Fidelis, National Grid and Ken Barrett Chevrolet-Cadillac.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is a member of the Western New York Independent Living, Inc. family of agencies that offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

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In the last year, we saved NYS taxpayers over $118 million by helping individuals leave or avoid institutionalization through practicing the principles of education, empowerment and equality for persons with disabilities.

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Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is excited to announce our very first in-person event since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic!  Join us in celebrating the 31^st anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act with our Second Annual Walk, Run & Roll!

The event takes place Monday, July 26, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Pavilion 2 of DeWitt Recreation Area, 115 Cedar St. in Batavia, rain or shine.

To register, go to runsignup.com/ilgrwalkrunroll.

For $25 participants can walk, run or roll the distance of their choosing. All participants receive an event T-shirt.

Food trucks will be present, plus a basket raffle and a 50/50 raffle will take place.

Please bring your own chair! COVID-19 guidelines will be followed.

For more information, call Donna Becker at (585) 815-8501, ext. 411.

Thanks to our sponsors: BW’s Restaurant and Banquet Facility, United Refining Company, RESTORE Sexual Assault Services, and R.A. Haitz Co. Inc.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is a member of the Western New York Independent Living Inc. family of agencies that offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR), a member of the Western New York Independent Living Inc. Family of Agencies, welcomes Holly McAllister as a Taking Control Consumer Administrator. 

The holder of an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Food Service Administration from Erie Community College, McAllister has a range of office work experience: Clerk Typist in the Genesee County Health Department; Principal Financial Clerk for Genesee County; Guest Service Advisor-Leader on Duty for Petco in Batavia; Principal Clerk for Genesee Justice; and Secretary in the Genesee County Planning Department.

In this position she has a variety of responsibilities to coordinate, monitor, and enroll individuals as consumers/employers in the Taking Control program in the ILGR regional service area of Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties, while promoting the expansion and positive impacts of the Consumer Directed Personal Assistant Service (CDPAS) within the region.

Asked to describe her feelings on beginning this new position, Holly whimsically quotes former Saturday Evening Post columnist Herm Albright, "A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."

ILGR is delighted that McAllister is bringing her experience to serve the GOW region in her new capacity.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is a member of the Western New York Independent Living Inc. family of agencies that offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR), a member of the Western New York Independent Living Inc. Family of Agencies, welcomes Betesha Thompson to assist people with disabilities in the Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming County (GOW) Region as a Medicaid Application Assistance Program (MAAP) Facilitated Enroller. 

Thompson comes to ILGR after having gained experience as: a Heath Care Coordinator at East House in Rochester; a Children’s Behavior Health Service Provider at the Hillside Family of Agencies, also in Rochester; a Residential Living Specialist at Eagle Star Housing in East Pembroke; a Residential Advisor at Iroquois Job Care Center in Medina; and a Direct Support Professional at The Arc of Monroe in Rochester.

She holds a Regents Diploma from Albion High School.

Looking forward to assisting persons in need, Thompson says, "I intend to use all of my skills to make sure every individual I work with has that person-centered experience."

In this position, she will assist individuals who are over 65 years of age, legally blind, or receiving Social Security Disability in applying for Medicaid insurance by determining the type of Medicaid coverage that is best for them. She can even assist in completing the application and collecting necessary documentation to submit with the Medicaid application.

Additionally, she will conduct outreach activities to educate, engage and enroll qualified individuals who live in the GOW Region.

ILGR is delighted that Thompson is bringing her vast experience to serve the GOW region in her new capacity.

ILGR offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) welcomes Kara Beth Baker to assist people with disabilities in the Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming county (GOW) region as a New York Connects Independent Living Outreach Specialist.  

Baker brings 22 years of experience in counseling and accessibility, including: Counselor/Case Manager with the Salvation Army Men’s Rehabilitation Center in Buffalo; Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment Program Assistant at Attica Correctional Facility; Residential Habilitation Trainer at Heritage Centers in Alden; Crisis Counselor at Genesee Valley BOCES in Batavia; and a 504 Assistant (dealing with Federal disability access) and Board Member at Bethel Elementary School in Bethel, Vermont.

Baker completed a Master Life Coach Certification Program with the Transformation Academy; holds a Certification in Peer Recovery and Ethics from Recovery University of the Connecticut State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services; plus completed additional coursework and trainings at Liberty University, Cazenovia College, the University of Vermont, and Life Space Crisis Intervention Inc.

In her new role, Baker will connect people with disabilities and their families to needed home and community-based supports and services, as well as facilitate access to public benefits," says Baker. “I intend to use my skills and abilities to offer helpful solutions, and to help consumers help themselves. I intend to focus on the individuals’ specific needs in order to help them best navigate their journey."

ILGR is delighted that Kara Beth Baker is bringing her vast experience to serve the GOW region in her new capacity.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is a member of the Western New York Independent Living Inc. family of agencies that offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

Submitted photo and press release:

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) welcomes Kahlil Simon into his new position as a Housing Specialist.

In this role, he will assist individuals to apply for, and navigate, the programs and services offered through ILGR, including, coordinating housing evaluations for persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, household budget counseling, employment advocacy, home environmental accessibility consultation, as well as serving as a liaison with landlords.

Prior to this promotion, Kahlil Simon served ILGR as a Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Peer Specialist, where he earned a New York Peer Specialist Provisional Certification.

Before his coming to the Agency, he had worked as an Imaging Services Secretary at United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia, where he was recognized with an Exemplary Service Award. During his tenure at the Medical Center, Simon was inspired to seek work that was more community service-oriented, ultimately obtaining employment with ILGR. 

About his new position, he says, “Here at ILGR, it’s my goal to provide a service to the members of our communities that are in need of assistance, while upholding the high standards of this organization.”

Simon attended Genesee Community College in Batavia after moving to the area from Brooklyn.

ILGR is delighted that Kahlil Simon will continue to serve the disability community in this new position.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region is a member of the Western New York Independent Living Inc. family of agencies that offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) welcomes Alan Huntington to its staff to be their Program Specialist to coordinate Continuum of Care for Western New York (CoC) services in partnership with the Homeless Alliance of Western New York in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties.

A concept introduced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a Continuum of Care is a collaborative funding and planning approach that helps communities plan for and provide, as necessary, a full range of emergency, transitional, and permanent housing for homeless as well as other resources to address their needs.

He will encourage participation in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) as well as regularly meet with Warming Shelters and other organizations to provide information on resources to their direct service staff.

Huntington brings useful experience from his recent work with the City of Amarillo, Texas, where he was trained on HMIS and worked with the CoC committees to end homelessness for veterans in that area.  He was also assisting the social workers on the Coming Home housing project there which helped those who are chronically homeless and have complex needs.

Huntington holds a law degree from the University of Colorado Law School, Class of 2011. His defense of an innocent homeless man in one of his trials led to his desire to further serve the homeless. He says that, “You will find a passionate advocate for my home county and area homeless individuals in me.”

ILGR is delighted that Alan Huntington is bringing his passion and experience in helping homeless people to serve the GOW region in his new capacity.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is a member of the Western New York Independent Living, Inc. family of agencies that offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) welcomes Lucie Griffis (inset photo right) to its staff to be an Independent Living Outreach Specialist in their NYConnects program.

NYConnects is a statewide initiative, led locally by ILGR, offering assistance in finding long-term supports so people can live independently.

Griffis will be assisting older adults and individuals with disabilities, and their families, in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, to access these resources including, securing public benefits and obtaining personal care services, to enable them to remain living independently in the communities of their choice. 

Among her prior positions, Griffis was a Job Coach/Direct Support Assistant in the Pathway to Employment Program of the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities; and was an Adolescent Vocational Exploration Intern at the Genesee County Job Development and Career Center in Batavia.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Community and Human Services from the State University of New York Empire State College, Class of 2018; and an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Business Administration from the State University of New York Genesee Community College, Class of 1996.

“I’m glad to be joining the Independent Living of the Genesee Region team. I look forward to assisting those in need in the Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming County areas,” says Griffis.

ILGR is delighted that Griffis is bringing her passion and experience in helping people with disabilities to serve the GOW region in her new capacity.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is a member of the Western New York Independent Living Inc. family of agencies that offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, every educated voter is critical to our community. To support this, for the 40^th consecutive year, The Western New York Independent Living Family of Agencies (WNYIL) is giving voters with, and without, disabilities the opportunity to hear from, and ask questions of, officials running in the Nov. 3^rd General Election at their Annual Meet the Candidates Days. 

WNYIL, being committed to the voice of persons with disabilities, especially within the challenges of this pandemic, is moving the event virtually this year to continue to offer this important forum. 

With individual campaigning at a minimum this year, this gives voters the chance to hear from officials running for several different offices.

Candidates running for local, state, and federal office will be given the opportunity to talk to, and hear from, constituents via our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/WNYIL.

Already scheduled to appear include candidates running for Congress, NY State Senate, NY State Assembly, as well as several candidates running for local offices. WNYIL Chief Policy Officer, Todd Vaarwerk, points out that “even during the pandemic, legislators will still make decisions about the things that matter to persons with disabilities. Meet the Candidates allows them to know, directly from potential constituents, how important those decisions are.”

The New York State and Federal races Meet the Candidates Day will be Tuesday, Oct. 27^th from 1 to 4 p.m. The local races (Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties) Meet the Candidates Day will be Friday, Oct. 30^th from 1 to 4 p.m. Both can be accessed at WNYIL’s YouTube channel.

For those without internet access who want to listen to Meet the Candidates, call 1-425-436-6200, Access Code 595227.

The Western New York Independent Living Inc. Family of Agencies offer an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.