CDCAN DISABILITY RIGHTS NEWS REPORT California Disability Community Action Network

CDCAN DISABILITY RIGHTS NEWS REPORT
California Disability Community Action Network

Advocacy Without Borders:

News Impacting People With Disabilities, Mental Health Needs, Seniors & Others

Goes out to over 45,000 people, organizations, policy makers across California

Marty Omoto - martyomoto@rcip.com website: www.cdcan.us

Report #035-2008 - February 14, 2008 - Friday

Remembering An Advocate

SILICON VALLEY INDEPENDENT LIVING CENTER STAFF SAY FAREWELL TO THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - PASSING OF CHERYL CAIRNS SADDENS DISABILITY COMMUNITY

Photo of Cheryl Cairns, Silicon Valley ILC Director

SACRAMENTO (CDCAN) - Former and current staff of the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center in San Jose this afternoon (February 14) said farewell to their long time executive director, Cheryl Cairns, who died unexpectedly early Monday morning (February 11th), with candles and rememberances of her life, her work and what she meant to so many people.

Cairns family, all from out of town, decided not to hold a formal memorial service, but her staff decided to say farewell to their executive director in an informal memorial at the very place where her life's work was centered, at the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center offices in San Jose.

"Cheryl would have wanted us to keep up the fight for the needs of people with disabilities" said Shobha T. Srinivasan,
Director of Development for Silicon Valley Independent Living Center. She told CDCAN that the photo of Cheryl Cairns (pictured left) is one "that we all like. It shows her joyful spirit".

Teresa Favuzzi, executive director of the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers said she was saddened by Cairns' passing and seemed overwhelmed by the string of recent deaths of independent living center executive directors. With Cairns' passing, a total of four executive directors of independent living centers in California have died since August 28, 2007. The first three died within 6 weeks of each other.

Staff Reeling from Shock and Sorrow of Passing

On Tuesday and the past several days the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center staff was still reeling from the shock and sadness of her sudden death. Her passing was mourned by people with disabilities, seniors, their families, advocates and other disability and senior community organizations in Santa Clara County and across California.

The family and friends asked that in lieu of flowers, and in her memory, donations and contributions can be sent to help the work of Silicon Valley Independent Living Center:

Silicon Valley Independent Living Center (SVILC)
2306 Zanker Road, San Jose, CA 95131
Phone: (408) 894-9041 FAX: (408) 894-9050
TDD: (408) 894-9012 website: www.svilc.org

Sen. Alquist To Issue Tribute of Cairns

Sen. Elaine Alquist (Democrat - San Jose), chair of the Senate Human Services Committee and the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, will be issuing a tribute memorializing Cairns life.

Cairns Passing Follows Death of 3 Other Independent Living Center Executive Directors Jeannette Nishikawa

Cairns' passing follows the deaths of three other independent living center executive directors that occurred in a six week period beginning last August 28th through October 6, 2007. In addition, several independent living centers have lost executive directors due to retirement.

About a third of the 29 independent living centers in California have been hit by vacancies of their executive directors, four by death, and others by retirement. Favuzzi said the independent living centers were reeling from the continued losses and deaths.

The three other executive directors who passed away earlier in August, September and October 2007:

* Jeannette Nishikawa, [pictured above far left] who was executive director of the Disabled Resources Center, the Long Beach independent living center. Nishikawa was a part of that center for over 27 years, the last 14 as executive director. Her memorial service by terrible coincidence was previously scheduled on the same die that Bob Roberts passed away, October 6.

* Mary Ann Jones, [pictured above middle photo] who was the executive director of the Westside Independent Living in Los Angeles for the past ten years, who died less than five weeks after Nishikawa. Her funeral was held on October 2. Jones was, like Nishikawa, widely respected in the Los Angeles area.

* Bob Roberts [pictured above right photo] who was the executive director of the Marin Center for Independent Living in Marin, died on October 6th, less than two weeks after the death of Mary Ann Jones. Roberts was one of the founders of the Marin Center for Independent Living and a respected statewide disability advocate, and a board member of the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers. To add to the almost bizarre coincidences, the memorial service for Nishikawa was held on the very day that Roberts passed away.

Cairns, like Jones and Nishikawa, and Roberts, were longtime members and leaders with the statewide California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC).

Silicon Valley Independent Living Center Founded in 1976

Silicon Valley Independent Living Center is a non-profit corporation, founded in 1976, with offices in San Jose and also Gilroy. It provides comprehensive services and information to all persons with all types of disabilities.

Opportunity Knocks, a widely respected national non-profit job source, in their First Annual "Best Nonprofits to Work For" competition recently awarded Silicon Valley Independent Living Center in its first annual "People's Choice Best Nonprofit To Work For Award". Silicon Valley Independent Living Center was one of the five winners in the “Operating Budget of $1.5 Million or Less” category.

Independent Living Centers (ILCs) are 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations run and controlled by persons with disabilities and are funded through a combination of federal and state funds. Many of the independent living centers also receive funds raised locally that support its work.

The independent living centers are non-residential, community-based centers where people with all types of disabilities can receive assistance with a variety of daily living issues and learn the skills they need to take control of their lives from people who have had similar experiences living with a disability.

The centers serve people with all types of disabilities and, with some exceptions, do not charge for their services and provide four core services:
* Information and Referral
* Peer counseling
* Independent living skills training
* Individual and Systems Change advocacy.

In addition centers may provide benefits counseling, employment readiness training, housing referrals, assistive technology services and legal aid. Many work closely with other local agencies, including regional centers, area agencies on agency, housing authorities, paratransit and public transportation agencies, county welfare or human services and local federal agencies .

Services vary from center to center but all provide the four core services mandated by federal legislation. For more information go to the California Foundation for Independent Living (CFILC) website at www.cfilc.org

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To respond to this report reply to: Marty Omoto at martyomoto@rcip.com CDCAN website: www.cdcan.us
To continue the CDCAN website, the CDCAN News Reports. sent out and read by over 45,000 people and organizations, policy makers and media across California and to continue the CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings which since December 2003 have connected thousands of people with disabilities, seniors, mental health needs, people with MS and other disorders, people with traumatic brain and other injuries to public policy makers, legislators, and issues. Please send your contribution/donation (make payable to "CDCAN" or "California Disability Community Action Network):

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MANY MANY THANKS to Easter Seals of California, Parents Helping Parents, UCP of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, Work Training, FSNC, Foothill Autism Alliance, Arc Contra Costa, Pause4Kids, Manteca CAPS, Training Toward Self Reliance, UCP, California NAELA, Californians for Disability Rights, Inc (CDR) including CDR chapters, CHANCE Inc, , Strategies To Empower People (STEP), Alta California Regional Center, Harbor Regional Center, Tri-Counties Regional Center, Asian American parents groups, Resources for Independent Living and many other Independent Living Centers, several regional centers, People First chapters, IHSS workers, other self advocacy and family support groups, developmental center families, adoption assistance program families and children, and others across California