Image Above: Finger Lakes Independence Center--FLIC--Logo: The letters: F-L-I-C and the letter I looks like an open door. Finger Lakes Independence Center Opening Doors to Independence 

Image Above: Black background. In center of image, at an angle, it reads "Disability: part of the equity equation" in white and gold letters. The letters frame an equation made of images. The equiation is a picture of a person using a wheelchair at a desk with a computer, working with co-workers; a plus sign; a picture of African American man and woman looking at a paper together; equals sign; light bulb with red rays coming from it (symbol for bright idea). Thin banner at top and bottom of image, in blue, yellow and red. Top banner reads, National Disability Awareness Month. Bottom banner reads #NDEAM/ DOL.GOV/ODEP.

In recognition of the important role people with disabilities play in a diverse and inclusive American workforce, the theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) 2022 will be “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation.” Observed annually in October, NDEAM celebrates the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities past and present and showcases supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices. 

FLIC offers Employment Support Services. If you want to explore your employment options, call us at 607-272-2433 and talk to our Employment Advocate, Jorge Cuevas.

Click the button below to read the press release from the Department of Labor.

UpwithDowns.org states, "October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, a chance to spread awareness. During the month of October, we celebrate people with Down syndrome and make people aware of our abilities and accomplishments. It’s not about celebrating disabilities, it’s about celebrating abilities. We can learn all about our history. We have a right to speak out about what it’s like to have Down syndrome and to learn the real story of people like us."

Watch the Video below: "The Hiring Chain" by Sting, highlighting employees and encouraging equity in employment.

Poster above reads: Disabilities Issues Candidate Forum. Hear from these candidates: Josh Riley from 9:30 am to 10:30 am, Lea Webb from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, Rich David from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm, Marc Molinaro from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm. When: October 6th from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Where: 26 North Main Street, Cortland, NY or Virtually. Why: To hear about the candidates' views and ideas on the disability community's most important government policy and funding issues in our area. Register today:

In person link: https://tinyurl.com/2wv4bd7f

Virtually: https://tinyurl.com/2smz29xk

This nonpartisan event is sponsored by Access to Independence of Cortland County, Finger Lakes Independence Center,  and Southern Tier Independence Center: Access Your World. 

Image Above: Gray background. Letters in black, font looks handwritten with marker and reads "Raise Awareness!" A hand holding a black marker hovers over the dot at the bottom of the exclamation point.

October serves as an Awareness Month for many important people, programs, and disabilities. Let us spend time this month raising our awareness on these, each title is a link to learn more:

• ADHD Awareness Month
• Blindness Awareness Month
• Diversity Awareness Month
• LGBT History Month
• Long Term Care Planning Month
• Substance Abuse Prevention Month
• Patient-Centered Care Awareness Month
• Physical Therapy Month

On August 31st, over 30 employers from Tompkins County gathered at the Ithaca Hotel to welcome job seekers and discuss employment options. The event was well attended and many who came expressed appreciation for the event and how well it was organized. 

The Job Fair was organized by FLIC's Employment Advocate, Jorge Cuevas. He led an excellent steering committee:

Brad Stock – Cornell

Brian Locastro – Unity House

Cassidy Stanley – WFNY

Luke Sjolund – BOCES

Larry Roberts – FLIC

Jan Lynch – FLIC

And several special helpers:

Nick Bennett – WFNY

Teressa Sivers – FLIC

Marjorie Olds – Consultant

Ron Provus – Ithaca Rotary

Jeff Boles - FLIC

One lucky attendee won a refurbished laptop donated by The Ithaca ReUse Center and another won a beautiful giftbasket.

Image Above: Photo of sign in Ithaca Mall advertising the event. Legibile section of sign reads "Prepare to keep your family safe" in white letters on a red background. Below, in red lettering it reads "Preparedness Resource Fair."

Image Above: Photo of FLIC's display table at the Resource Fair. Table with blue covering with white letters that read, "Flic, Finger Lakes Independence Center." Table is covered with brochures and posters. Two people are sitting behind the table with face masks.

Image Above: Photo of outdoor vender booth hosted by the American Red Cross. Table of materials sits under a white tent. Red Cross Jacket on display behind a woman, who is speaking with a man in a yellow hat. Woman is wearing a Red Cross Vest.

Image Above: Photo outside of a red pickup truck hauling a red trailer that read "Dryden Fire and Rescue in gold letters. Alongside trailer is a display table with materials. Between the trailer and table are two representatives from the fire deparment in uniform. A man with sunglasses is standing with his hands in his pockets and a woman with long brown hair is sitting. A banner on the display table reads, "Answer the Call."

The Tompkins County Department of Emergency Response and Public Health Department partnered with the Shops at Ithaca Mall to host an Emergency Preparedness Resource Fair on Saturday, September 10th from 10am to 2pm. The event was held as part of National Preparedness Month, observed each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. The 2022 theme is “A Lasting Legacy.” Resources and information were shared both in the Mall and outside in the Parking Lot. Below is the Emergency Preparedness Tip for October.

FLIC had a table at the event with many people stopping by to find out about FLIC and our efforts toward Emergency Planning for people with disabilities and older adults. We have a Core Advisory Group that meets every quarter to talk about the different needs of individuals with disabilities in an emergency, with a larger goal of making sure our county continues to be inclusive in their emergency planning. If you are interested in joining our Core Advisory Group contact Jeff Boles at [email protected]. 

Photos by Tompkins County Public Information

Image Above: Blue background. Light blue banner at top of image with words in red, which read, "Prepare Now. Learn How." In center of image are three circles, in a line horizontally. First circle is orange with clip art of speech box, under the circle it reads "Talk to a health care provider about what to do." Second circle is gray with clip art of a battery, under the circle it reads, "identify an alternative power source for devices." Third circle is purple with clip art of a phone, under the circle it reads "Inform your emergency contacts of the backup plan." Above circles, in white letters, it reads, "Prepare for a Power Outage if you use electric medical devices." At the bottom of the image is a red banner with white letters reading, "National Preparedness Month...Ready.gov" 

Be able to safely meet your basic needs during an electrical outage.

We count on electricity for heat, food, and medical needs. Many gas appliances even need electricity to run. A power outage is an emergency that often follows another emergency—like a hurricane, tornado, or winter storm. That makes it even more important to be prepared in advance.

Power Outage Safety

• Discard food if the temperature in your refrigerator exceeds 40 degrees for more than 2 hours
• Stay away from downed power lines and anything they are in contact with such as fences or buildings
• Never drive over downed power lines; they may be energized
• Never use charcoal or gas grills inside a structure. You may be overcome by carbon monoxide
• If you must use candles, be sure to use them safely. Never leave candles burning unattended

Task One: Have flashlights ready in an easily accessible place and check batteries in flashlights and radios.

When the lights go out, the safest way to provide emergency lighting is with flashlights or battery-powered lanterns. Keep flashlights with fresh batteries in several places throughout your home and check them for proper operation regularly. Always keep a supply of extra batteries. Think about buying a rechargeable flashlight. Batteries might be hard to find in a disaster.

Task Two: Acquire and learn how to safely use a portable generator

Using a properly connected generator of adequate size during a power outage will reduce or almost eliminate the impact a power outage has on your life. Before you buy a generator, talk to an electrician about the size and type you need. Think about what you want your generator to run. Generators can be used to keep food cool, provide lights and electricity for phones and television, power furnace blowers and pumps.

The best way to use a portable generator is to connect it to your home using a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician. This will keep the power from overloading the wiring in your home. It will also keep the power from your generator from traveling back into the power lines, which can injure or kill people working on power lines, or can unexpectedly re-energize downed power lines near your home. You may also connect equipment directly to the outlets on the generator, but be sure that any extension cords are of the proper length and gauge to handle the power requirements.

Remember: Always run generators outside. Never use a generator inside a house, in a basement, or garage. Never use a cord from a generator to back feed a circuit in your house. 

Task Three Create a power outage plan and decide what you can do before, during, and after a power outage to minimize the effect on your household.

Before the power goes out:

• Fill empty space in freezer with containers of water. Frozen water will displace air and keep food cold longer. Remember to leave space in containers for ice to expand.
• Have at least one phone with a handset cord in your home. Many cordless phones will not work in a power outage.
• If you have an automatic garage door opener, learn how to use the manual release and open your garage door manually.
• Try to keep your car’s gas tank at least half full. Many gas stations will not be in operation during a power outage. Fill up your tank if a major storm is predicted.
• Make sure you have a car or lighter plug cord for your cell phone.
• If you use special healthcare equipment like oxygen generators or dialysis equipment, notify your power company.

After the power goes out:

• Unplug major appliances and electronics. When the power comes back on, there may be power spikes that can damage large appliances or delicate electronics.
• Do not open refrigerators or freezers any more than necessary. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for approximately 4 hours, an unopened freezer will keep food frozen for approximately 24 hours.
• Use a battery-powered radio to stay informed.

https://www.do1thing.com/individuals/power/

Image Above: White background with light blue border on left side. Top of image in dark blue letters it reads, "FLIC Clients Are Highly Satisfied Overall, and Highly Likely to Recommend it. Below is a pie chart that shows satisfaction results: 63% Very Satisfied (in green), 19% Satisfied (in blue) 18% Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied (in gray). In blue box next to pie chart, Main themes in comments: Helpful, friendly, knowledgeable staff, equipment loan was highly valued. Below is second pie chart showing likelihood to recommend: 67% Extremely Likely (in green), 23% Very Likely (in blue), and Somewhat Likely small grey pie piece, no percentage given. Blue box next to pie chart reads, "Main Themes in Common: helpful, valuable asset, service for community."

The FLIC Board of Directors, FLIC's Executive Director, Jan Lynch, and FLIC staff are engaged in strategic planning with Steve Schack of Clear Blue Associates. As part of the process in developing a strategic plan, FLIC conducted a survey to gather important information. Two $50 gift cards were drawn as prizes for participation in the survey. Congratulations to Janette and Rebecca! And a BIG Thank You to all who participated in the survey!

The Finger Lakes Independence Center presents Mental Health Mindfulness 101 -A peer selfhelp mutual support group which uses the basics of mindfulness to assist its members towards bettering their mental health.

Meeting Dates:  October 10 & 24

                          November 7 & 21

                          December 5 & 19

Time: 3:00 to 4:00 pm

Place: Via Zoom

Guiding Principles 1. This is a self-help and mutual support group. 2. We believe that improving our lives and healing is possible using mindfulness, peer support, and learning coping skills. 3. We are not here to fix each other or give advice, but rather to “Be” with one another with a culture of respect and support. 4. We refrain from universalizing our experience and world view. We speak from the “I” prospective. Differences are expected and welcomed. Come join us as we support each other as we learn, share, and experience ways to live a more peaceful, happier, and empowered life. We will learn how to incorporate mindfulness tools such as the power of our thoughts and words, self-love, meditation, positivity, and much more.

To register or for more information contact

Steven Karris 631-745-2850/[email protected]

or Jeff Boles 607-272-2433/ [email protected] 

The Finger Lakes Independence Center administers the Registry Referral Program. This is a free referral service linking individuals seeking independent employment to people who need care in their home. Opportunities include: elder companion, housekeeper, run errands, cook, personal care aide, home care aide, LPN, RN. People looking for help can call and receive names of people willing to provide those services. If you either need assistance or if you would be interested in listing your name as a caregiver, pease call FLIC at 272-2433 or email: [email protected]. If you have experience caring for a friend or loved one, please consider sharing your compassion with others. This program is made possible through funding from the Tompkins County Office for the Aging.