Friendship Circle (organization) explained

Friendship Circle is a charity for children and young people with special needs. The organization is run by the Chabad Hasidic movement. The organization pairs Jewish high school student volunteers with children with special needs. The first Friendship Circle center opened in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan; now there are many chapters across the United States and Canada.[1] [2]

Activities

Friendship Circle organizes walkathons to raise funds for children with special needs.[3] [1] Other initiatives include art auctions.[4] [5]

A New Jersey chapter of Friendship Circle opened a "LifeTown" center in Livingston, a multi-faceted center where young people with special needs can learn life skills in a supportive environment.[6] The center includes therapy and health facilities as well as an aquatics center. LifeTown Shoppes have stores and businesses where young people can learn life skills with the help of volunteers and professional staff.[7] [8] The center provides services to 30,000 young people each year. The center is modeled after a Michigan center.[9]

Some Friendship Circle chapters have turned to founding social enterprise programs employing young people with special needs, such as bakeries[10] [11] and thrift shops.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Friendship Circle walkathon aims to raise big bucks for special-needs kids. 1 June 2017. J Weekly.
  2. Web site: Friendship Circle Directors Turn to Michigan Suburb Where it All Started. www.chabad.org.
  3. Web site: Record-breaking crowd of 1,300 walk for Friendship Circle. Alyssa. Schmitt. Cleveland Jewish News. 7 September 2017 .
  4. Web site: Artists With Special Needs Draw Crowd to Wisconsin Auction. www.chabad.org.
  5. Web site: Creating Art from Disability. 31 January 2017. The Media Line.
  6. Web site: A Chabad couple in New Jersey builds an immersive village for kids with autism. Dolsten. Josefin. www.timesofisrael.com. en-US. 2019-11-05.
  7. Web site: Friendship Circle declares milestone. New Jersey Jewish News - NJJN. 2017-10-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20160710195024/http://njjewishnews.com/article/30465/friendship-circle-declares-milestone#.WfZ8u_5RKB4. 2016-07-10. dead.
  8. Web site: 'Life Village' will teach life and job skills.
  9. Web site: N.J. nonprofit slated to build $13M complex for special-needs youth in Livingston. Daily Record. 3 March 2013.
  10. Web site: Milwaukee bakery employs people with special needs. Julia. Fello. 14 September 2017. TMJ4.
  11. Web site: Entrepreneurs have a head start with Jumpstart. 13 February 2017. J Wire.
  12. Web site: The Trendy Boutique That Employs People With Special Needs. www.chabad.org.

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