Press release:
Once again, the Western New York Independent Living Inc. Family of Agencies (WNYIL) is gathering nominations of members of the disability community who have made ongoing, significant contributions, such as support, assistance and inspiration to others.
Deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. Friday, April 13.
The winner will be honored with WNYIL's Independent Citizen Award at its Fifth Annual “Night for Independence" Gala on Saturday, May 12th at the Classics V Banquet & Conference Center, 2425 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst.
Ideally, the nominee should meet the five core values of this award:
- Exemplifying independence in the community, such as: by beginning a special project; by spearheading an awareness effort; or by gaining the support of decision-makers, for the benefit of others with disabilities or the general community;
- Going above and beyond what would be expected to assist others, by offering personal experience or expertise, organizing individuals around an issue, enlisting partnerships, and/or revealing self-sacrificing work;
- Remaining active in the community over an extended period, even after an initial success with an activity or major project;
- Rejecting others’ criticism or doubt, that potentially could have deterred the individual from striving to reach and achieve personal goals;
- Showing the world the value of one person’s actions by encouraging others to have a contributing, encouraging, and positive attitude about making the community a better place for all.
If you are aware of an individual who has served those with disabilities, and who, you feel, would meet all these criteria, please contact Marykate Waringa of WNYIL’s Office of Community Engagement at (716) 836-0822, ext. 146; or email her with the candidate’s name, a paragraph about his/her qualifications and contact information, as well as YOUR name and contact information, to mwaringa@wnyil.org.
Thank you for your willingness to help acknowledge deserving members of our community!
WNYIL is Western New York's largest cross-disability, consumer-directed, non-residential organization for persons with disabilities. At WNYIL, individuals of all ages and all types of disabilities learn to exercise their freedom of choice to take control of their own lives, in order to live more productively in, and contribute to, the community.
