Voices For Independence

VFI would like to congratulate Personal Care Attendant, Danielle Spencer, on winning the annual attendant drawing-- this year, for a 55" Samsung 4K Crystal UHD Smart TV! VFI attendants earn entries into our monthly drawings for a $100 gift card by picking up shifts that are outside of a normal master schedule, but at the end of the year, ALL entries from the entire year are compiled and a name is drawn for our grand prize. Congratulations Danielle, and thank you (and all of o...ur PCA's) for your tireless hard work and dedication! #VFICIL #VoicesForIndependence #CenterForIndependentLiving #CIL #DisabilityCommunity #DisabilityRights #Disability #IndependentLiving #PersonalCareAttendant #PersonalCareAttendants #PCA #Caregiver #Caregivers #EssentialWorkers

Interested in the latest #AssistiveTechnology? See the shared post below from our friends at Transitional Paths to Independent Living - TRPIL, regarding the Look to Speak app, new from our friends at Experiments with Google! #VFICIL #VoicesForIndependence #CenterForIndependentLiving #CIL #EriePA #Erie #DisabilityCommunity #DisabilityRights #Disability #IndependentLiving #AssistiveTech #Accessibility #LookToSpeak #ExperimentsWithGoogle

Meet Haylee. Haylee is 2 years old and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Haylee and her grandmother Loretta were having issues with safely entering/exiting the home. They called Voices for Independence and spoke to our Home Modifications department to learn more about the process. Watch the video below for more on Haylee's story, and call us today at (814) 874-0064 for more information on what Voices for Independence can do for you. #VFICIL #VoicesForIndependence #CenterForIndependentLiving #CIL #EriePA #Erie #HomeModifications #HomeModification #HomeAdaptations #HomeAdaptation #Accessibility #WheelchairRamp #Wheelchair #Ramp #ModularRamp #DisabilityCommunity #DisabilityRights #Disability #IndependentLiving

Are you having problems voting or think your rights have been violated? Contact the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE or 1-866-687-8683. VOTE TODAY! Here's how: Find your polling place. Make sure you know where you can vote (https://www.vote.org/polling-place-locator/) and know any COVID-19 precautions or changes at your polling place.... Bring a photo ID. Many states require you to provide a photo ID. Make sure to bring one with you if it is required. You can find voter information about your state here: https://p2a.co/opKw8tk/voter-information Plan to wait. There may be long lines to vote. Make sure to take anything you need to be comfortable like a snack, warm clothes, any medications, or a chair. You can also ask the polling place for an accommodation to help you wait in line or move ahead in line, but they may not be able to grant your request. Remember: States must permit voters waiting in line to vote, even if the polls close while you are waiting. So, don’t leave if the polls close. Learn more about how to vote, big issues for people with disabilities, and your voting rights: https://thearc.org/vote/ #VFICIL #VoicesForIndependence #CenterForIndependentLiving #CIL #EriePA #Erie #ElectionDay2020 #ElectionDay #AccessibleVoting #Accessibility #Vote #Vote2020 #DisabilityCommunity #DisabilityRights #Disability

Remember when we mentioned earlier today that we'd be sharing details on the #ShowUsYourTech contest from our friends over at Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation PATF? Well, the time is NOW! If you utilize assistive tech, simply submit a photo of yourself, along with your AT, and tell PATF what it means to you-- all for a chance to win $500! For full details and how to enter (entries/voting open NOW through November 30th), visit: https://patf.us/2020-photo-contest/ Thanks again to our friends at PATF for hosting such a great contest! #VFICIL #VoicesForIndependence #CenterForIndependentLiving #CIL #EriePA #Erie #AssistiveTechnologyAwarenessMonth #AssistiveTechnology #AssistiveTechnologyAwareness #AT #ATAwareness #AssistiveTech #PennsylvaniaAssistiveTechnologyFoundation #PATF #DisabilityCommunity #DisabilityRights #Disability

ATTN: Personal Care Attendants! Did you miss our last Virtual Town Hall Meeting for PCA's with VFI/TRPIL CEO, Shona Eakin? Join us at 2:30pm on Wednesday, November 11th, over in the VFI Attendant Resource Group! This meeting is to address any questions or concerns that our dedicated attendants may have at this time. To make sure that your questions/concerns are addressed, or if you will be unable to participate live, send your inquiries to [email protected] and they will be reviewed/forwarded to Shona prior to the event. Hope to see you all there!

ON THIS DAY: Three years ago, on November 2nd, 2017, we here at Voices for Independence hosted an open house at our new Erie headquarters (1432 Wilkins Rd, Erie, PA 16505). We are just as excited about our Center for Independent Living today as we were back then, looking to provide the very best services to Western Pennsylvania, just as we have for over 25 years. Thank you to everyone who helped make our new location a success, including all of the consumers we serve, attendants/staff on our team, and new neighbors/fellow businesses in the surrounding community. Thank you all for sharing our new home with us for the past 3 years, and here's to many more.

Join us as we celebrate Assistive Technology Awareness Month here at VFI! This month, we'll be sharing information and stories regarding assistive technology, which allows individuals with disabilities to live more independently, in a variety of ways. We'll also be sharing details of a contest from our friends over at Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation PATF, where YOU can enter just by showing off your tech-- Be on the lookout for more information regarding their co...Continue reading

Evicted because your abuser broke in and damaged the property? The eviction could be illegal under the Fair Housing Act. Call the Fair Housing Law Center for more information and free legal assistance. 877.725.4472 or visit fhlaw.org/report-housing-discrimination.

It is with great regret that we must announce the cancellation of this year's Disco Spectacular. In the interest of keeping our community as safe as possible throughout this pandemic, we will now be looking forward to planning NEXT year's Disco Spectacular, currently set for November 13, 2021. We thank you all for your understanding and continued support of Voices for Independence. We are also incredibly grateful for the influx of messages that we have received regarding cont...inued support for VFI, despite the cancellation of this year's Disco Spectacular. If you are looking to make a contribution in lieu of attending this year's event, please visit our website at www.vficil.org and click the "Donate Now" button at the top of the page, or you can mail in a donation, addressed to Dan Hanson at 1432 Wilkins Rd, Erie, PA 16505 (checks can be made payable to Voices for Independence). Again, thank you all for your understanding, and see you next year!