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BRIDGES will commemorate 35 years of providing services to people with disabilities in Rockland County at its annual “In My Shoes” event on Thursday, May 5th at the Crowne Plaza in Suffern at 6:00 pm. This year’s event will celebrate personal journeys in the creative arts and showcase individual experiences of disabled area residents. Guests will enjoy cocktail hour, dinner, raffles and a silent auction.
“Many people have a prejudice against people with any kind of disability,” says Carlos Martinez, Executive Director of BRIDGES. “There is an unconscious assumption that they are somehow ‘less than’ or unable to do what able-bodied individuals can do. “In My Shoes” is an event designed to dispel that assumption and ensure there is equal access to opportunities so people with disabilities can thrive in Rockland. The event also honors people who have made a significant impact on our community.”
The 2022 honorees are Dr. Reji Mathew, Ph. D, LCSW, an Expressive Arts Therapist, Educator and Advocate who will receive the Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Leadership Award; Jeffrey Friedberg MT-BAC, LCAT, from Music for Life Creative Arts Therapy who will be honored with the
Empowerment Award; and Garner Arts Center will receive the Access Award.
Corporate sponsors include Anchor Media Services, Atlantic Office Technology, Lia Toyota of Rockland and PDI. Individuals and corporations who wish to support the event and the agency’s mission can make a donation through the BRIDGES website at www.bridgesrc.org or by calling Nanci Goldman, Director of Special Events, at 845-624-1366, Ext 127.
Registration Ends on April 29th; tickets are $150 per person and can be purchased at www.bridgesinmyshoes2022.eventbrite.com.
About BRIDGES
Rockland Independent Living Center (RILC) dba BRIDGES, a community-based, peer-driven, cross-disability, not-for-profit organization dedicated to advocacy and leadership for people with disabilities, was founded in 1987. BRIDGES is one of 41 Independent Living Centers (ILC) operating in New York State under the auspices of New York State Education Department (NYSED). Each ILC adheres to a national philosophy of Independent Living that seeks to empower individuals with disabilities to make autonomous decisions regarding all aspects of living, and advocates to ensure equal access to opportunities.
BRIDGES is staffed and governed by a Board of Directors, the majority of whom have a disability. As an Independent Living Center, BRIDGES provides essential core services of Independent Living including Peer Counseling, Independent Living Skills Training, Information & Referral, Individual & Systems Advocacy and Transition Supports. BRIDGES offers additional programs and services that focus on each individual’s right to autonomy and encourage active participation in community life according to the desires of each individual.
For more information about services and programs, contact BRIDGES at 845-624-1366 or visit them at www.bridgesrc.org or in person at 2290 Palisades Center Drive in West Nyack.
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