INDEPENDENCE, Kan.—The SKIL Resource Center in Independence will hold its free annual customer appreciation picnic August 23 and invites the public to attend.

The free picnic will be held from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at Wesley House, 200 S. Penn. Hot dogs, potato salad, baked beans, chips, dessert and drinks will be served, and there will be special speakers and door prizes.

SKIL holds the free picnics every summer, to thank its customers and to further introduce the public to SKIL, a local non-profit independent living center that serves people with disabilities. The picnics are held in towns where SKIL has a branch office.

“I always look forward to seeing our customers from Montgomery County,” said SKIL President/CEO Shari Coatney. “Today, the Independence area community is a better and safer place for people with disabilities. The community is very supportive of SKIL and our work. Their loyalty is definitely felt with the success of this event.”

Founded in 1992, SKIL serves people with all types of disabilities or those whose environment is disabling. Headquartered in Parsons, SKIL has branch offices in Chanute, Columbus, Fredonia, Independence, Pittsburg and Sedan. The agency serves over 4,500 customers with disability needs. More than 2,000 staff work through SKIL, a major southeast Kansas employer.

In addition to operating the center for independent living, SKIL also operates an alternative lending program called K-LOAN that enables people with disabilities to purchase assistive equipment; and Assistive Technology for Kansans sites in Parsons and Wichita that provide assistive technology and training, as well as other programs related to technology.

For more information, call Independence SKIL at 1-866-927-1006, Parsons SKIL at 1-800-688-5616 or contact any SKIL office. On the web at: www.skilonline.com .

- By Andy Rausch and Joe Reinecker

This year’s Sedan SKIL Customer Appreciation Picnic is coming up this Friday, August 9^th. The event will be held at the Sedan Senior Center on 124 E. Main from 5 to 7 pm.

According to Sedan Independent Living Coordinator Diana Clanton, the picnics serve multiple purposes. They are important because they allow customers who may not get out of their homes frequently to come out and meet and greet with other people who face similar hardships. “The picnics also give people from the community an opportunity to come out and see what we do at SKIL and learn about the resources we offer,” she said.

There will be speakers this year, as well as a dinner consisting of Sloppy Joe’s, potato chips, drinks, and desserts. There will also be fun activities, such as a ring toss game. The event is free and is open to the public.

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