MCIL: Independent Living at Clovernoonk

MCIL staff is at Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired each Thursday.

By Christina Clift
It has been almost six months now and I’ve enjoyed every minute of working out in the community.  I work from the Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired.  While not in midtown, the Clovernook Center is close to the old location of the Memphis Center for Independent Living and I knew I’d have the opportunity to see long-time MCIL friends and identify new ones from the old neighborhood. 

At first, it was a bit tough remembering to bring everything I would need from the office with me, but I’ve gotten better at preplanning for Thursdays.  I stay in touch with the other MCIL staff in Clark Tower through e-mail and check voicemails remotely with my phone.  I set up appointments to meet clients at Clovernook and so my days stay busy.  I have a great volunteer working with me as well. Many of you will remember Bryant from our old location; well, he’s not gone but volunteers with me on Thursdays.

On October 8, 2018 the Memphis Center for Independent Living officially opened our doors at the new home in Clark Tower.  While our office had downsized, the space and amenities had greatly improved.  But the move out east brought other changes to MCIL other than a new address, it brought a shift towards working out in the community.
 
MCIL staff went from working in individual offices and having a large space for meetings to an open office with shared space and scheduled meeting space.  Needless to say, less privacy and tighter quarters didn’t take me long to begin feeling confining and I couldn’t wait to find a place to work out in the community.  At Clovernook I have my own private meeting space and more freedom.  

It also meant more outreach opportunities and providing another option where people could meet.  Many folks were concerned MCIL moved.  But we choose a location off of the busiest bus route and more central to the entire area. MCIL is obligated to serve all of Shelby County and not just mid-town. The new location could make it easier for people coming in from Millington, Bartlett, Collierville, and Cordova to visit.