Center for Independent Living hosts picnic at South Williamsport park

They may not yet have a building to call their home, but they have a strong community network and celebrated that Friday with a lunch-style picnic with food and fun games and activities at South Williamsport Community Park.

The picnic, attended by three Lycoming County commissioners, was hosted by Roads to Freedom Center for Independent Living North Central PA. which provides advocacy and disability services, remotely in a 10-county region.

For more than 16 years headquartered in an office building at 24 E. Third St., following an inspection by the city Bureau of Fire, the building was vacated on Jan. 22.

Notification was given that the fire alarm system was not fully operational and needed to be brought into compliance.

The issue identified reflects newly implemented safety standards, which require updated system functionality beyond what was previously mandated.

Once notified, the organization said in a previous news release that it acted swiftly and responsibly, engaging qualified professionals and working directly with city officials to address the concern as quickly as possible.

Closed but operational

While the physical office is temporarily closed, services are not and scores of folks who depend on them and their caregivers were at the picnic given in gratitude for the community to hear the latest news at the end of summer get-together.

"It has been very hard for us at the CIL and I've been getting your messages," said Misty Dion, Roads to Freedom Center for Independent Living North Central PA chief executive officer to the scores of those attending the picnic. Her voice was full of emotion – a combination of happiness for those enjoying the food and games and for how the provision needs have grown three-fold during this disruption and those people are being provided for.

"Thank you for coming," Dion said, acknowledging the challenge of the organization not being in the physical structure. "It's tough when you have a community that is used to being together on a constant basis with their peers in a much larger community that is not as accessible and built for us," she said.

Dion's emotions were left on her sleeve as she expressed her "heartfelt apologies," saying so "because my team has done really, really good work to cover services during this time."

Additionally, Dion acknowledged Commissioners Scott Metzger, Marc Sortman, and Mark Mussina, whom she said – as a board – "supported us many times before."

"I know where their heart is and I know that they know what we do for this community and they know that you guys need their support. I trust that they will help us get back into the community," Dion said.

Roads to Freedom CIL never budgeted for what transpired as a result of the inspection.

Nevertheless, the organization remains consistent in its mission and is growing that need.

"We built a community that can continue to tackle this stuff and grow and that is amazing to me," Dion said. "I could not do it without all of you," she said. "I just appreciate your investment, to us, to your peers to make our community more accessible so that we can all thrive."

Roads to Freedom continues to provide all programs and supports without interruption, serving individuals with disabilities in its network.

Staff remains fully engaged working in the community, in people's homes, and remotely, to ensure advocacy, services, and support.

The commissioners support the agency which empowers people with all disabilities by providing resources, options, and disability-related services needed to obtain individual freedom in their lives. Based on the smiling faces, laughter and discussions on the tables beneath the pavilions the picnic was a complete success.

"I am so proud to see that not only did we continue to expand during this time, triple-fold, but we all still kept building community together and we are all here together today," Dion said.

"That just reassures me that what we are doing is right and we are going to do it and keep doing it and we're going to be back together in the building soon – I know it."