Brews & Bites Silent Auction is now OPEN

Take a look at our silent auction packages – bidders need not be present to win!

Join us in making a real difference! Brews & Bites is more than a party – it’s a way to have an immediate impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities. Our online silent auction and raffles make it easy to support full lives, even if you cannot attend. Money raised at this event will go directly to supporting CIF’s

  • Person-Centered Coaching
  • Supported Housing
  • Inclusive Community Activities
  • Consulting Services for Schools & Agencies

Can’t join us? Are auctions and raffles, not your thing? Please consider making a gift to support the Independent Futures community today.

Below are just a sampling of our wonderful experiences available in the silent auction. Check out all of them!

 

Happy Pride Month from CIF

🌈🎉 Celebrating Pride Month: Embracing Diversity and Inclusivity! 🌈🎉

As we enter the vibrant and empowering month of Pride, we want to take a moment to recognize the incredible diversity within our community and shed light on an often overlooked intersection: the beautiful bond between the LGBTQ+ community and individuals with disabilities.

At Center for Independent Futures, we firmly believe in fostering an inclusive society that embraces everyone, regardless of their abilities or sexual orientation. We want to celebrate and honor the remarkable individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ and also have disabilities.

Did you know that people with disabilities are an essential and vibrant part of the LGBTQ+ community? Their unique experiences, perspectives, and resilience contribute to the rich tapestry of the movement for equality and acceptance.

Throughout history, individuals with disabilities have faced unique challenges when it comes to expressing their identities and accessing supportive resources. We stand with them, advocating for their rights, breaking down barriers, and ensuring their voices are heard loud and clear.

This Pride Month, we want to celebrate the beautiful spectrum of identities within our community, including those who identify as LGBTQ+ and live with disabilities. Let’s continue to create safe spaces, promote inclusivity, and champion equality for all!

Join us as we celebrate love, diversity, and resilience. Together, we can create a world where every individual feels empowered, accepted, and celebrated for exactly who they are.

Happy Pride Month, everyone! 🎉🌈

#PrideMonth #InclusionMatters #LGBTQ+ #DisabilityPride #LoveIsLove #DiversityandInclusion

Brews & Bites Raffles – Bears & Beyonce

We are SO excited to announce the “B&B Raffles” – an amazing opportunity to support CIF!  Not only will you have a chance to win an incredible experience, but you will also make a meaningful impact to support full lives. Winners need not be present – anyone can win! The B&B Raffles offer two remarkable prizes – both packages are valued at over $1200!!

Raffle #1 – 2 Tickets to the Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers with Parking Pass
The perfect game for any Bears fan!
Sunday, September 10, 2023
2 tickets, Section 222, Row 11, Seats 11-12
1 Parking Pass for North Garage Parking Orange (Soldier Field Parking Lots)

Raffle #2 – 2 Tickets to Beyonce – Renaissance World Tour at Soldier Field with Parking Pass 
Prepare to witness a legendary performance by none other than Queen B, herself!
Saturday, July 22, 2023
2 tickets, Section 222, Row 17, Seats 13-14
1 Parking Pass, General Admissions Lots (Soldier Field Parking Lots)

RAFFLE TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW! To get your raffle tickets, click the button below and purchase your tickets at the affordable price of $25 for a single ticket or take advantage of our special offer of five tickets for $100. This allows you even more chances to win while maximizing your support for Center for Independent Futures.

Each ticket sold supports individuals with disabilities, ensuring they have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. Share this with your friends! The winner does not be there to win!

Purchase your raffle tickets today and join us in our work to create a more inclusive and supportive society for individuals with disabilities. Together, we can make a lasting impact and inspire positive change.

Brews & Bites is June 25

Join us on Sunday, June 25, 2023, at Double Clutch Brewing located at 2121 Ashland Avenue in Evanston. This large, accessible, relaxed venue will give us the chance to taste all kinds of beers, eat a delicious summer dinner, play Brews & Bites bingo, and much more!  

All money raised at Brews & Bites will go to support CIF’s

  • Person-Centered Coaching 
  • Supported Housing 
  • Community Activities 
  • Consulting Services for Schools & Agencies 

Brews & Bites 2023 will feature:

  • Summer cookout dinner: Freshy grilled burgers, brats, salads, and sweet treats! 
  • Live music – featuring Evanston’s own No Regrets Band 
  • Brews & Bites Bingo – with great prizes & hilarious hosts
  • Wine & Beer Pull 
  • “Choose Your Prize” Raffle 
  • Silent Auction

So grab your family & friends and join Center for Independent Futures for an awesome summer party! Get your tickets today!  

Let Your Voice Be Heard: Red & Purple Line Accessibility

Accessible public transportation can be a cornerstone of a full life. The ability to get around gives us the freedom to keep from being isolated, keeps us connected with friends and family, and gets us to work.

We encourage our community to have their voices heard on the issue of accessible public transit in northern Chicago and Evanston.

Please consider joining CTA staff to learn about a planning study for the future of the Red and Purple Lines and provide input about how the transit experience could be improved.

Attend a virtual community meeting about the RPM Next Phases Study on March 14 (Chicago project area) or March 16 (Purple Line Evanston Branch) to hear from the project team about the CTA’s vision for a more accessible, reliable, and modern Red and Purple Line. Similar information will be shared at both meetings. You are also invited to take a survey to share your input, whether you can attend a meeting or not.

Tuesday, March 14, 2023 | 6-7 pm
Chicago Project Area  Click here to register for the Zoom meeting

Thursday, March 16, 2023 | 6-7 pm
Purple Line Evanston Branch Click here to register for the Zoom meeting

Take the Survey Survey Link

CTA is undertaking the next phase of the Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) program to rebuild and modernize the 100-year-old northern portion of the Red and Purple Lines from Belmont to Linden.

Phase One of the RPM program is currently under construction (in the area just north of Belmont station and approximately between Lawrence and Bryn Mawr stations).

The RPM Next Phases Planning Study initiates the planning work necessary to complete the improvements along the remaining areas within the 9.6-mile corridor, including the entirety of the 3-mile Purple Line Evanston Branch.

Once completed, the RPM program would fully replace infrastructure and stations that are significantly beyond their useful life and would allow CTA to increase train capacity, add accessibility, and improve the customer experience for generations to come.  The RPM Next Phases Planning Study is the first step of the planning process that will set goals and objectives, engage the public, identify potential projects, and evaluate alternatives and
phasing.

The RPM Next Phases Planning Study focuses on three segments of the north Red Line and the Purple Line Evanston Branch:
 Addison to Sheridan
 Thorndale to Howard
 Evanston Branch (Howard to Linden)

Join CIF for Trivia Night at Double Clutch! 

Come on out and join us for a hilarious night of trivia and fun on Sunday, April 16th from 5 – 7 pm, at Double Clutch Brewing Company, 2121 Ashland Avenue, Evanston.

Buy your ticket now for only $25 for a fantastic night of trivia and laughs hosted by Strewpendous Productions. We will have fun and funky raffle baskets plus prizes for the First, Second, and Third Place teams

Everyone who buys a ticket will have the chance to join a team. Attendees are free to set up their own trivia teams, or CIF will provide support determining teams. We will contact all attendees prior to the event to set up the teams.

Don’t miss out! Get your ticket today! 

Art Encounter honors CIF as their Community Partner of the Year 

This February, Art Encounter announced Center for Independent Futures as their 2022 Community Partner of the Year.

Art Encounter is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating, empowering, and connecting people of all ages and backgrounds through interactive encounters with visual art. Their broad range of programs foster community, creativity, and a greater understanding of the world around us.

During the 2020 pandemic shutdown, Jeff Morthorst, CIF’s Activities Director, partnered with Art Encounter to provide creative and social enrichment through virtual and in-person hands-on artmaking workshops, visits to artists’ studios, and in-depth coaching of independent studio practice.

Together CIF and Art Encounter have grown our Art Club over the past few years thanks to the passion and dedication of Art Encounter staff, Jeff’s work to provide high-quality activities, and CIF’s creative grants team Niki Moe and Geri Miller-Brown. Congratulations everyone!

Join #TeamCIF for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon

Are you a runner looking to make a difference in your community? Do you have a passion for philanthropy and want to find a way to combine your love of running with giving back? Look no further! Join #TeamCIF!

We are seeking enthusiastic runners to join our team for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and to raise money for Center for Independent Futures. The Chicago Marathon is a world-class race that attracts runners from all over the world. It is a chance not only to challenge yourself and push your limits but also to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities. 

By joining TeamCIF, you will have the opportunity to run the Chicago Marathon and fundraise to support individuals with disabilities live full lives and realize their hopes and dreams. We want you to feel connected and motivated to make a difference, and we will be there to cheer you on! 

As a member of TeamCIF, you will receive support and guidance on how to fundraise and reach your fundraising goals. CIF does not require runners to guarantee their fundraising in advance, but we ask you to have a passion for our mission. We encourage all runners to have a fundraising goal of $1250 and to make a good faith attempt to raise that amount. Some raise more, others less, and last year we beat our goal! 

So why wait? Sign up to join #TeamCIF for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon today and make a difference while doing what you love!

Questions? Email center@independentfutures.org. Ready to register? Click here. 

Help us reach our 2023 fundraising goal!

We make full lives a reality

Throughout our 20-year history, CIF has supported individuals with disabilities as they live their full lives. We have also supported their parents, siblings, and friends, who rest assured knowing that their loved one is supported with dignity and respect.

CIF was founded by two mothers on a mission to find individualized long-term independent living options for their disabled daughters where none were accessible. Today, we provide life-skills coaching, housing, and community activities for over 100 participants.

Every day, North Shore families reach out to CIF to get answers where seemingly, none exist. They turn to us because of our two decades of firsthand experience in supporting individuals with disabilities by providing:

● Person-centered life-skills coaching
● Community-based supported housing
● Community-building activities
● School and Agency consulting services

Will you help us create more opportunities for people with disabilities and their families by donating to CIF today? Help us celebrate 20 years – and ensure that CIF will support full lives for decades to come.

Click here to donate today!

 

The Coleman Foundation Match – a collaboration that makes full lives a reality

For 10 years, Center for Independent Futures and the Coleman Foundation have collaborated to develop self-directed supports for individuals with disabilities. With their vision to “create more compassionate, equitable and inclusive resources and opportunities that improve people’s lives with thoughtful and sustainable solutions,” the Coleman Foundation seeks “to preserve and strengthen the physical health and the economic and emotional well-being of people living in the greater Chicago region.” 

We are excited to announce that the Coleman Foundation is again providing a generous matching opportunity for CIF during this year’s giving season. From now until December 15, the Coleman Foundation will match each $1,250 donation dollar-for-dollar up to $12,500 to help us generate funds to make our work a reality.  

Together with this generous financial support and CIF’s 20 years of firsthand experience in supporting individuals with disabilities, the Coleman Foundation and Center for Independent Futures make real impact in the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families through 

  • Person-centered life-skills coaching
  • Community-based supported housing
  • Community-building activities
  • School and agency consulting services

With this match opportunity, now is the time to consider a gift to Center for Independent Futures as we continue to fulfill the unmet needs of so many area families. 

Click here to donate today!

Success Stories

Current Month

tue03dec3:00 pmtue4:00 pmTuesday Walking Club - In Person

wed04dec1:00 pmwed2:00 pmSocial Hour - Wednesday - Zoom

wed04dec6:30 pmwed9:00 pmPoetry Plus - Zoom

thu05dec11:00 amthu1:00 pmCooking Club - In-person

thu05dec5:00 pmthu7:00 pmAnime Club - In-Person and Zoom

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