Home Dreams Come True for Gary
February 20, 2020
Admin
Congratulations are due to someone CAU serves who now has a condo of his own! Gary Rubin now has a lifetime tenancy at his home in Elizabeth, and will have voting rights in his condo association. The two-bedroom, two bath condo he has all to himself is a far cry from institutional living at E.R. Johnstone Training and Research Center, where he lived and worked as a young man from 1985...
Dancers Take the Floor at ACE
February 14, 2020
Admin
Fanning out across the floor of the Academy of Continuing Education, students danced, stretched and moved last week with the direction of a talented local dance company. Many of the people CAU serves were no strangers to the joy of dancing as participants in Community Access Unlimited’s annual musical production and other performing arts programs. Four dancers and choreographer Carolyn...
People CAU Serves Celebrate Culture at National African American Read-In
February 12, 2020
Chris Reardon
Crystal Jackson stood before a small audience of other youth at risk and sang Whitney Houston’s “I Look to You,” with its lyrics, “After all that I’ve been through / Who on Earth can I turn to / I look to you.” Jackson is living within New Jersey’s child welfare system and was participating in a local celebration of National African American Read-In along with about 20 other...
In My Words: The Social Security Proposal
January 27, 2020
Admin
Many people CAU serves are fierce self-advocates fighting for policies that give people with disabilities equal access to opportunities that are afforded to citizens without disabilities. This year we recognize the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibited discrimination based on disability in 1990. The ADA also requires covered employers to provide reasonable...
“Guys and Dolls” Invited to Audition for CAU Community Players!
January 23, 2020
Admin
CAU Community Players in "Hairspray Jr." in 2019 Place your bets! The Community Access Unlimited Community Players will take on a Broadway classic in three performances of “Guys and Dolls Jr.” this summer. The popular musical comedy follows gamblers, gangsters and other characters in a Runyonland fantasy of New York City. CAU is currently welcoming the people it serves and members...
Musicians with and without disabilities strike perfect chord at collaborative concert
January 14, 2020
Chris Reardon
There was a steady bustle back stage Friday night at the Eugene G. Wilkins Theatre for the Performing Arts at Kean University a half-hour before the curtain was set to rise. Musicians tuned their instruments while singers stretched their vocal cords and performers dabbed on make-up in bathroom mirrors. Yet what was unique about this production was the performers were a mix of musicians...
Remembering the Homeless and Organizing to Make a Difference in Union County
December 26, 2019
Admin
What do the world’s religions tell us about the homeless and the needy? Leaders of different faiths shared prevailing teachings on charity, generosity and poverty Thursday at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rahway. The memorial vigil honored the lives of people who have died due to homelessness in Union County. The 4th annual vigil was held just before the longest night of the...
Valley Bank Supports CAU Housing for People with Disabilities
December 16, 2019
Admin
The final touches are complete on a brand new house in Union built by Community Access Unlimited. The project was supported in part by a $10,000 grant from Valley Bank. It will soon be home to four women in a supported living program for people with disabilities. CAU is a Union County-based, statewide nonprofit that strives to integrate people with disabilities and at-risk youth into...
Meet New York Marathon Runner Robbie!
December 6, 2019
Admin
Running just comes naturally for 24-year-old Robbie Matos- and he’s picking up speed. The Springfield native breezed to a 4:03:59 finish in the world’s largest marathon in New York City on Nov. 3, completing with the top third of runners. Robbie is someone CAU serves who attends the Academy of Continuing Education in Cranford, where he studies theater, upper level math and...
Community Access Unlimited Awarded $15,000 Major Grant from The Provident Bank Foundation
December 2, 2019
Admin
Community Access Unlimited (CAU) has been awarded a $15,000 grant by The Provident Bank Foundation through their Major Grant program in support of Community and Civic Engagement programming. The program aims to empower at-risk youth through advocacy and leadership training to reduce social and class inequalities and improve their lives. CAU is a Union County-based, statewide nonprofit...