AIM Independent Living Center

05/21/2026

Connor Kenney got worried when he hadn’t seen his neighbor at Cedarview Apartments in Southport in days.

“I noticed he hadn’t shut his window shades like he usually does at night,” Kenney said.

They live in apartments at Cedarview managed by AIM’s Supportive Housing Program, which are for people with disabilities who are at risk of homelessness. The tenants live independently, but AIM has staff on site to provide needed services.

Kenney and his neighbor also work together for the Elmira Pioneers at Dunn Field. When his neighbor didn’t show up for a Pioneers employee meeting and wasn’t answering his phone, Kenney called Joanne Carlyle, AIM’s Director of Housing. Carlyle then called police to do a welfare check.

Police found Kenney’s neighbor conscious but in poor condition. He had a massive stroke and has been hospitalized since.

“If Connor didn’t call me, he wouldn’t have survived,” Carlyle said.

Carlyle presented Kenney with a letter of appreciation and a certificate of recognition today during a Memorial Day weekend picnic for the AIM consumers who live at Cedarview Apartments.

05/21/2026

Starting this Friday, May 22, AIM will be closing at 2 p.m. every Friday through Labor Day.

This small change makes a big difference for our team, giving our staff time to recharge, spend time with family, and come back ready to serve you at their best.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support!

05/21/2026

Free meals for kids & teens this summer! Thanks to C-PP School District and Corning Area Youth Center, children and teens 18 and under can enjoy free summer meals throughout our community.

Need help applying, recertifying, or understanding 2026 changes to SNAP benefits? Contact Joe Coffey, AIM's SNAP Outreach Specialist, at (607) 962-8225 (office) or (607) 415-4910 (mobile) to make a free appointment.

Learn more at aimcil.com.

05/14/2026

Congratulations to two staff members from AIM’s Recovery Services team who recently achieved professional goals they’ve spent years working towards.

Claire Walker, on the right in the accompanying photo, is AIM’s Family Support Navigator, working with families impacted by addiction.

She recently earned her Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from Samford University. She has been working toward her MSW, which requires hundreds of hours of fieldwork, since 2021 while working full-time at AIM. Once she passes her licensing exam, she will become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).

Brandon Beuter, on the left in the photo, is AIM’s Recovery Peer Coordinator. He connects people with treatment programs and provides supports to those in long-term recovery.

He recently earned his Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor-Trainee (CASAC-T) from Stony Brook University. Once he accumulates enough hours of work experience, he will earn his full CASAC credential.

Walker has been with AIM for six years, Beuter for seven.

05/13/2026

A lot of work happens before AIM’s Open Doors Program transitions someone from a nursing home to their own home in the community.

Each transition is carefully planned with the resident and their loved ones, the nursing home staff, and service providers in the community.

The goal of Open Doors: make sure participants in the program move to a safe, affordable and accessible home, with the services they’ll need to live independently.

Our latest successful transition, Edward McDaniel, is a perfect example.

AIM began working with McDaniel in July 2024 when he was a resident at Wellsville Manor, receiving physical and occupational therapy to rebuild his strength and mobility. His weight along with kidney and heart conditions had left him extremely weak and reliant on a wheelchair and a lift to get in and out of bed.

While McDaniel slowly recovered, Melissa Bedient, AIM's Community Transition Coordinator, lined up services including home care aides, visiting nurses, medical equipment, medical transportation, a pharmacy and a food pantry.

Our Olmstead Housing Subsidy specialist, Adriana Cavaletti, helped him secure an apartment lease at Cranberry Court in Olean. Using the housing subsidy, Cavaletti bought him household goods and furniture, and paid his security deposit and first month’s rent.

Finally, after two years, McDaniel was discharged from the nursing facility in April. On the the day he was discharged, Bedient and Cavaletti went to his new apartment and prepared it for his arrival.

“The moment he opened the blinds and saw the courtyard outside his window with an accessible gazebo, pond and bird feeders; it really hit him that he was ‘free’” Bedient said. “It was an emotional moment for all of us.”

McDaniel said he was very grateful to everyone at Wellsville Manor and AIM who helped him in his rehab and transition.

“It took a very long time and for a while it looked hopeless but hard work, determination and most certainly the grace of God helped me reach the finish line,” McDaniel said. “Now I see why it was so hard getting to the victory lap because this is really beautiful.”

McDaniel was the seventh successful transition completed this year by AIM’s Open Doors and Olmstead Housing Subsidy team, with several more in the works. Open Doors and OHS are statewide programs coordinated by the New York Association on Independent Living, with AIM serving as a regional provider.

05/11/2026

AIM participates in Rev UP New York , a statewide coalition of disability rights advocates working to boost voter turnout in the disability community and improve election accessibility. Please consider joining Rev UP New York's free Zoom workshop Friday evening on serving as a poll worker!

"Are You Disabled And Thinking About Being An Election Day Worker?"
Yes, then come and join us to learn more about becoming an election day worker, the jobs election day workers do and why this work is so very important and rewarding.

When: Friday, May 15th, 2026, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: On Zoom

American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and real-time captioning (CART) will be provided during the workshop

Please pre-register here before 5 p.m. on Friday, May 15th to receive the Zoom link: Register for Zoom link here https://bit.ly/RevUpNYworkshop

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting, including the Zoom link, and another email on the morning of May 15th.

If you need assistance pre-registering or have any questions or concerns, please email REV UP NY at [email protected].

Image Description A promotional flyer for an online workshop titled “Are You Disabled and Thinking About Being An Election Day Worker?” The event is organized by the Rev Up NY Coalition and scheduled for Friday, May 15, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. It includes information about American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and real-time captioning (CART). The flyer highlights the importance of poll workers with disabilities and lists presenters along with their affiliations. A QR code is included for registration, and contact details are provided at the bottom. The color scheme is predominantly red with bold text and graphic elements representing New York State.

05/06/2026

Thank you so much to the area businesses who are supporting the 2026 AIM Golf Tournament and our services to help people with all types of disabilities live independently. Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Our supporters so far include Bryans & Gramuglia CPAs LLC, Kennedy Valve, Elmira Structures Inc., The Hilliard Corporation, U.S. Salt, Sirianni Hardwoods Inc., Nucor/Vulcraft of New York, Hinman, Howard & Kattell, LLP, Curcio Printing, Highstreet Insurance & Financial Services, Elmira, NY, Edger Enterprises, Inc., First Heritage Federal Credit Union, Wren's Auto Center, Chemung Softwater Service Inc., Chemung Canal Trust Company, Wilson Restaurant Equipment, Watkins Glen International, Wegmans, Eldridge Park and the Buffalo Sabres.

We still have a few openings for foursomes for the captain-and-crew tournament, to be played Sunday, May 17 at Elmira Country Club. To register, visit aimcil.com or call (607) 846-6495.

Highlights include:

- Check-in at 10 a.m. with assorted breakfast sandwiches, fresh fruit, cereal bars, coffee and juice, followed by a shotgun start at 11 a.m.

- A $5,000 prize for a hole-in-one on a par 3 courtesy of Highstreet/Perry & Carroll, as well as skins, long drive, straight drive and closest-to-the-pin contests.

- A 50-50 raffle and a prize raffle with electronics, sporting goods, outdoor equipment and other prizes.

- Dinner after the tournament featuring BBQ chicken, BBQ pulled pork, baked beans, macaroni salad, vegetable medley, and dessert.

We hope you can join us!

05/05/2026

Are you struggling to apply for SNAP benefits? Do you have questions about SNAP? AIM Independent Living Center can help!

Our SNAP specialist can help with:
- Eligibility screenings
- Applications
- Recertifications

To make an appointment with our SNAP specialist, call 607-962-8225. Learn more at aimcil.com

This is a free service funded by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service and the New York State Office of Temporary Disability Assistance.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. To learn more about how you're protected from discrimination, please visit the USDA Non-Discrimination Statement at https://bit.ly/SNAPstatement

04/29/2026

The Assembly and Senate showed support for Independent Living Centers (ILCs) in their One-House Budgets released in March – but as we approach May with no budget passed, it is time to remind state leaders about the importance of properly funding ILCs.
ILCs are the only statewide network of disability-led organizations. We help disabled New Yorkers navigate complicated systems to get the supports they need to live independently in the community. The long term services and supports that disabled people rely on continue to be under threat from the federal government, making it even more important for the state to truly invest in ILCs.
Correcting years of underfunding by including ILCs in the Targeted Inflationary Increase and increasing our base funding will ensure ILCs have the capacity to adequately support their communities and continue helping disabled people access services, stay out of nursing homes, and build independent living skills.
Tell your local Assemblymember and Senator why funding ILCs is important to you!
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/R3vLmkqkCdKIhocAmwYNKg

Alt text: A teal background frames a white square that looks like a pinned note, held in place by a bright yellow paperclip graphic in the top-left corner. Inside the square, bold text reads “ACTION ALERT – Your voice matters.” Below it, supportive messaging encourages people to stand with the disability rights and Independent Living movement and to share the alert widely. A small organizational logo appears in the bottom-right corner, and a link to learn more is included at the bottom.

04/20/2026

Come to Wednesday's Regional Job Fair at Corning Community College to learn more about AIM and our current job openings, which include service coordinator, care manager and health insurance navigator. We're also seeking home care aides for seniors and veterans, and support staff for people with developmental disabilities. Visit aimcil.com/careers to see our openings.

Regional Job Fair 2026

🗓 Date: April 22
⏰ Time: 11 AM – 2 PM
📍 Location: SUNY Corning Community College Gymnasium
1 Academic Drive, Corning, NY 14830

💼 Free Admission | Walk-ins Welcome
📲 Scan to sign up or just show up!

Start your job search here and find your perfect opportunity!