East  Bay  Innovations  celebrates  its  20th  anniversary  with    a  musical  benefit  featuring  The  Blues  Broads

 

November  9,  2014,  2:00pm        Freight    &  Salvage  Coffeehouse        

2020  Addison  Street        Berkeley,  CA        

       

The  Blues  Broads.  Photo:  Bob  Hoskins.

SAN  LEANDRO,  CA,  September  10,  2014  –  East  Bay   Innovations,  an  award-­‐winning  non-­‐profit  devoted     to   serving   people  with   disabilities,   is   pleased   to   announce   a  musical   benefit   at   the  Freight   &   Salvage     Coffeehouse   in   Berkeley   in   honor   of   its   20th   anniversary.   Headlining   the  event  on  November  9,  2014  are    The  Blues  Broads,  featuring  the  vocal  talents  of  Tracy  Nelson,  Dorothy  Morrison,  Annie  Sampson  and    Angela  Strehli.      

Since   1994   East   Bay   Innovations   (EBI)   has   offered   personalized   services   to   individuals   with  autism   and     other   disabilities   in   Alameda   County.   Tom   Heinz,   one   of   EBI’s   founders   and   its  executive   director   for   two     decades,   has   been   a   forceful   advocate   for   people   with  developmental   disabilities,   leading   the   movement     for   supported   living   and   employment  services,  and  offering  expert  testimony  at  senate  hearings  in    Sacramento.    

By    offering    24-­‐hour    support    within    the    home,    EBI    was    one    of    the    first    organizations    in    California     to     offer       people     with     disabilities     a     legitimate     choice     whether     to     live     in    residential    communities,    which    historically      have    been    the    norm,    or    to    remain    in    their    own    homes.    EBI    continues    today    as    a    trailblazer     in    offering      programs    that    empower    people     to     live     as     independently     as     possible,     to     find     jobs     of     their     choosing     and     to      participate    fully    in    public    life.    

“EBI’s    20th    anniversary    is    an    occasion    not    only    to    honor    our    organization’s    achievements,    but    to    shine    a      light    on    the    state    of    disability    civil    rights    today,”    says    Heinz.    EBI’s    20th    anniversary     benefit     comes     on     the       heels     of    National     Disability     Awareness    Month     in    October.    It    also    looks    forward    to    the    25th    anniversary    of      the    Americans    with    Disabilities    Act     next     year.     Since     that     historic     law’s     enactment,     federal     and     state       support     for    disability    service    providers    has    not    kept    pace    with    population    growth    and    cost    of    living      increases,     and     today     there     is     a     higher     rate     of     unemployment    within     the     disability    community    than      existed    a    decade    ago.            

Promising     increased     funding     for     job    development,    California      Senate    Bill    SB-­‐577    is    poised    to    become    the    next    advance    in      the     disability     rights     movement.     Many    individuals     with       autism     and     other    developmental     disabilities     work     in      “sheltered    workshops”    –    segregated,    non-­‐competitive       employment     programs    authorized    to    pay    subminimum      wages.     If    passed    into    law,    SB-­‐577    will    build    capacity    to    train      disabled    people    for    jobs    in    real-­‐world     settings,     expanding       EBI’s     award-­‐winning     employment     training     and    internship      program    called    Project    Search.            

“EBI     is     fortunate    to    have    the    support    of    The    Blues    Broads,”      adds    Heinz.    With    deep    roots     in     rock    and     roll     and    gospel,       country    and     funk,    and    especially     the    blues,     the    quartet    is      backed    by    Gary    Vogensen    on    guitar,    Steve    Ehrmann    on      bass,    Mike    Emerson    on    keyboards    and    Paul    Revelli    on    drums.                

Tickets    for    EBI’s    20th    anniversary    benefit    with    The    Blues    Broads    are    $23    -­‐    $27    and    may    be    purchased      online    at    ticketfly.com/purchase/event/509845,    or    by    calling    The    Freight’s    box    office    at     (510)  644-­‐2020.      Proceeds     from     the    concert    will    be    donated     to    EBI.    A    reception    with    honored    guests    will    follow    the      concert.    For    more    information    about    The    Blues     Broads     visit     TheBluesBroads.com.     For    more     information       about     EBI     and     all     its    programs    visit    EastBayInnovations.org.      

 

 Brianna,  a  graduate  of  EBI’s  Project  Search,  found  full-­‐time  employment  in  Alameda  County  District  Attorney  Nancy  O’Malley’s  office.