Ms. Wilma Reverse Pageant - North Carolina Statewide

The Advocator ~April 2014~
Advocating for the Rights of People With Disabilities in the
Cape Fear Region
Serving the counties of~
New Hanover, Brunswick, Columbus, Onslow & Pender
APRIL IS VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH
Located at
140 C Cinema
Drive
910-815-6618
www.drc-cil.org
Hours of Operation
Monday—Thursday
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Friday: CLOSED
dRC Staff
Gloria Garton
Executive Director
Patsy Parrish
Office Manager
David Beauregard
Access & Advocacy
Ms. Wilma Reverse Pageant
Charlotte Buckley
Community Resource
Specialist
Gary Perry
IT Manager
Stevie Toole
Youth Transition Coordinator
Fran Caston
APRIL 26
(VFW—2722 Carolina Beach Road)
Hors d’oeuvres & Drinks 5:00pm
Show starts at 6:00pm
Benefit Options Counselor
Bob Thompson
Information & Guest Services
Joan Wilson
Volunteer Coordinator
Melea Williams
Disability Advocate Specialist
Felisha Wood, UNCW Intern
This event benefits a special non-profit organization, the
Mercy House Homeless Shelter, which shelters and assist
homeless men. Tickets are $25.00. For more information:
contact Joy Walker at 442-9803 or Linda James at 620-3045
Page 2
The Advocator ~April 2014
Utility Assistance Agencies
The Utility Assistance Program provides governmental and non-profit organizations a quick
and easy method for assisting Duke Energy Progress customers with payment of their
electric bill. This site is intended for use by non-profit and government agencies. Customers seeking help with their electric bill should call our Customer Service Center at 1-800452-2777. Agencies should register prior to using Utility Assistance with a one time registration process that allows online access to account information and provides the ability
to pledge a payment toward the client’s account. Agencies needing to register can e-mail
their request to agencyresponses@duke-energy.com. Please include the agency’s name
and contact number in that e-mail.
Making a pledge: Login to Utility Assistance by entering your e-mail ID and password. After
logging in, enter the customer account number to retrieve the Pledge/Inquiry page which
provides current account information and prompts for adding a pledge. Complete the
pledge details, including authorized agency representative, pledge amount and e-mail address, then submit. A confirmation page will be displayed and a separate email note will
be sent confirming the details of your pledge.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO REMAIN HOME

The Federal Home & Community Care Block Grant, Housing & Home Improvement service administered by the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services through the regional
Area Agency on Aging is optional per county. Services include information on housing
locations, renting, home ownership, foreclosures, home modifications and minor
home repair, etc. Adults age 60+ are eligible to apply. Brunswick County does not
fund Housing Home Improvement. Contact the Cape Fear Area Agency on Aging at
910-395-4553 for faith based or civic groups that may assist.

North Carolina offers three property tax relief programs for the permanent residence
of qualified homeowners. The deadline to submit an application is June 1 of each
year. A) Elderly or Disabled Exclusion-applicant must be 65 years of age OR permanently disabled. B) Circuit Breaker Tax Deferment Program—65 years of age OR totally and permanently disabled and C) Disabled Veteran Exclusion. Contact your county
tax office for more information.

The United States Department of Agriculture has a Home Repair Loan and Grant Program—Section 504. Very low income homeowners of any age can apply for a loan, you
must be 62+ for a grant, living in rural areas needing assistance with repairs and improvements which will make their home a safer and more sanitary or assistance with
the removal of health/safety hazards. Call the Lumberton Area Office 910-739-3349.
COMPUTER CLASSES
Monday - Thursday at 11:00 am:
How to use email/Facebook & basic computer skills
Monday and Wednesday at 1:00 pm:
Resume workshop & Introduction to Magellan (an
interactive career planning tool)
CLASSES ARE FREE! REGISTRATION IN ADVANCE IS REQUIRED!
For descriptions of classes, visit http://drc-cil.org and click Technology Tab!
ACCOMMODATIONS ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST PLEASE CALL ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE TO REQUEST
YOUR ACCOMMODATION.
CALL 815-6618 AND ASK FOR GARY
Computer Classes!
Personalized Computer Assistance!
Computer Repair!
Refurbished Computers for Sale!
Large, Glare-free Monitors
dRC has it all!!
dRC has a state of the art computer lab with 10 computers and a variety of assistive technology for all abilities. Plus, be sure to check out all the resources located
on our webpage at www.drc-cil.org
For more information, please contact Gary Perry at 910-815-6618!
Computer Lab is open
Monday-Thursday from 11 am—4 pm
APRIL EVENTS NOT TO BE MISSED

April 4-6— Truong Wheelchair Tennis Grand Prix Tournament #1 –
at the Althea Gibson Tennis Center @ Empie Park (3405-A Park
Ave.), Wilmington, NC. Event fee: $50.00 (we are introducing a
NOVICE Division this year for new players for an entry fee of
$25.00) For further info contact: Billy Eno 910-228-9808 or Todd
Cox 703-887-3921 email: todd_cox@yahoo.com

April 12 - SAIL (Self Advocates for Independent Living of Coastal
Carolina) Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser. Diner and Dancing with DJ
Smooth at Northside Baptist Church, 2501 North College Road,
Wilmington, NC from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. Tickets $10.00 Adults$5.00 children. For more info: John Russ 910-264-6158 or Cheryl
Powell 910-620-4856.

April 16 - Cape Fear Disability Commission Meeting—10:30 am—
New Hanover County Government Complex—HR Room. Requests
for bus/DART vouchers should be made to John Russ at 910-2646158 no later than April 5th.

April 23 - dRC’s Lunch & Learn: meeting at our center (140 C Cinema Dr.;Wilmington, NC) from Noon to 2:00pm. Drinks and dessert
provided. This month’s topic: Home Ownership for low to moderate
income households. (Please call 910-815-6618 to reserve your spot.
Space is limited. Accommodations available upon request.)

April 26 - The Great Glow Run (benefiting Easter Seals UCP) 8:00pm at Battleship NC Park, 1 Battleship Road NE; Wilmington.
This 5K race is a certified course. Tickets: 35.00 before 4/11; $45.00
4/12 - 4/23 day of registration $50.00 ($25.00 for Active Duty Military) children 5 and under free! Visit greatglowrun.com further info.

April 26 - Ms. Wilma Reverse Pageant at VFW, 2722 Carolina
Beach Road, Tickets $25.00. Hors d’oeuvres & drinks 5:00pm; the
show’s at 6:00pm. Further info: Joy Walker 910-442-9803 & Linda
James 910-620-3045
APRIL EVENTS CONTINUED
April 27 - Do you have a special talent? Student Council for Exceptional Children—UNCW Chapter is hosting it’s first annual talent show for
elementary and middle grades students at Halyburton Park from 2 to 4
pm. If you would like to participate in the Talent Show contact Sarah at
sas8723@uncw.edu or call 330-203-9191.
_________________________________________________________
dRC’s Prescription Clinic
Tuesday - April 8th
And
Tuesday - April 22nd
***Must call to make an appointment - 910-815-6618***
_________________________________________________________
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED !!!
dRC is looking for talented and energetic volunteers to join
our fundraising and special events committee, someone to
lead a Couponing Class or Scrap Booking Class once a
month, help answering phones occasionally and also assistance in our Computer & Assistive Technology Lab. If you are
interested please contact Joan Wilson at 910-815-6618.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What is disAbility Resource Center? dRC is a Center for Independent Living
(CIL). Our mission is to empower people with disabilities to become and
maintain their independence within their community. Inclusion and Independence is accomplished through education, employment, access to affordable housing, access to services and activities that allow the opportunity and
possibility of a full life for all those with a disability.
To achieve our common mission and purpose the dRC focuses on four core
services to empower individuals with a disAbility, their families and caregivers:
1) Peer to Peer Counseling 2) Independent Living Skills and Training 3) Systems and Individual Advocacy 4) Information and Referral.
A few Examples of Services: We provide individuals with the information
and tools they need to live freely and independently. We can help with preparing a budget, creating a resume, teaching job searching skills, computer
training, and peer mentoring. We also provide information about who to contact if you need a ramp, home modifications, assistive technology, problems
with your social security benefits, utility assistance, searching for affordable
housing, support groups, disAbility rights advocacy and more!!
Do I need to make an appointment? Appointments are highly recommended,
but we do accept walk-ins and will do our best to accommodate you at that
time.
Do I need a referral? No
disAbility Resource Center
Do we charge a fee? No, our services are provided at no cost to consumers.
We are a non-profit organization that is funded through the generous support
of individuals, local organizations and the State of North Carolina’s Division of
Rehabilitation Services.
140 C Cinema Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403
Is dRC a part of Vocational Rehabilitation? No, Vocational Rehab is a State
Agency and we are a nonprofit agency.
Phone: 910-815-6618
Fax: 910-815-6658
www.drc-cil.org
Do we provide funding or financial assistance to individuals? If dRC has
received donations designated specifically for consumer assistance we can
provide some financial assistance on a very limited basis for very specific
circumstances and needs. However, if dRC is unable to financially assist we can
refer individuals to the right agency or organization that can provide financial
assistance specific to your needs.
Where are we located? dRC is located near the intersection of Market Street
and Kerr near the Carmike Theaters in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Important Websites:
http://www.adacompliance101.com
http://www.disability.gov