OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Resource Center for Independent Living Inc. has been awarded a three-year grant of more than $190,000 from the Walter S. and Evan C. Jones Testamentary Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee. The grant will fund services for youth with disabilities between the ages of 14-24 as they transition into adulthood. The grant will be used in part to hire a youth specialist to serve Lyon County during the first year and then Osage and Coffey counties in subsequent years.

The youth specialist will assist participants in defining their living goals and with completing the processes necessary to achieve those goals.

“RCIL is excited and grateful for the opportunity to provide individualized services to our local youth and support them to reach their education, employment and independent living goals,” said Deone Wilson, RCIL executive director. “The Jones Testamentary Trust grant is a godsend.”

In addition to educational and employment services, RCIL will also provide its core independent living services to participants and their families, such as information and referral services, advocacy services, peer counseling, and independent living skills training.

The youth specialist will be stationed in RCIL’s Emporia office, which is located in the Emporia Humanitarian Center.

RCIL first opened in 1984 in Carbondale, Kan. Since then RCIL has grown to provide an array of programs and services for individuals with disabilities and currently has offices in Osage City, Emporia, El Dorado, Iola and Topeka, Kan. RCIL is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors, which currently includes Dana Pinkston, Dr. Carrie Hagemann, Kraig Kettler, Loren DeBaun and Carrie Sunday.

Information thanks to RCIL.