Citizen Advocacy of South-Central Indiana hosted a benefit at Tutto Bene Wine Café to raise money for a full time coordinator Sunday.
CASCI is an organization that facilitates matches between a citizen with disabilities and another member of the community. It takes advocates, or volunteers from the community and pairs them with a partner, or someone with a disability in hopes of creating a long lasting friendship. Partners include people with developmental disabilities, stroke victims and people with multiple sclerosis, said Jo Gilbertson, co-president of CASCI.
As a science teacher Gilbertson always felt strongly about incorporating disabled kids into the broader community of the classroom, and now with CASCI, she furthers the idea by trying to incorporate disabled citizens into the community through these friendships.
“My heart has always been in making their life meaningful and a positive experience and this organization really focuses on that,” Gilbertson said.
CASCI is trying to employ a full time coordinator to create the advocate-partner matches in hopes of speeding up the amount of time it takes to create a match which is now about two to three months, according to Gilbertson. But the organization is struggling to get funding.
Co-president Dixie Patterson also realizes the importance of continuing to carry out CASCI’s unique mission in this community because it is the only citizen advocacy organization in the state of Indiana.
“People with disabilities lives are filled with health care staff and there are always people in and out of their lives,” Patterson said. “They need people in their lives who are not there because they’re paid.”
Gilbertson continued to stress the importance of advocates.
“There are many without a voice but when they’re an adult there’s no one to talk for them,” she said. “There are wonderful organizations in Bloomington, but our goal is to bring individuals out into the community and let them be a part of it.”
The event, Jewels for CASCI II, was hosted and catered by Tutto Bene. Silpada Designs also sold jewelry at the event with all profits made from sales donated to CASCI.
