The Friendship Circle is planning another day of fun for special needs children and teens. On Monday, January 15, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Friendship Circle is planning a music, art and sports day at the Chabad of Poway. Linda Schroeder, MM, MT-BC, a supervisor with Coast Music Therapy, who coordinates many of their collaborative programs, will be leading the program, along with another music therapist. This will be another opportunity for parents to visit with each other, as well as meet with Ms. Schroeder, to learn effective ways to use music with their children.

Robbie Turner, a credentialed teacher with many years of experience, will direct art activities, since Tu B’Shevat will be celebrated soon afterward, on February 3rd.

A sports program will be led by Lyn Zanders, who taught special education for many years.

Snacks will be included and the event is FREE, but donations are always appreciated. Please be sure to RSVP to the Friendship Circle office either by e-mail to elisheva@friendshipcirlcesd.com or by phone to 858-487-4879, to reserve a student volunteer for your family member with special needs. As always, siblings are encouraged to attend.

For a January Jubilee 2007 flyer please click here

A Chanukah party at the Chabad of Poway, featuring music, crafts, stories, donuts and latkes and FUN, FUN, FUN!!!! What a wonderful way to celebrate Chanukah with your special needs family member.

Teenage volunteers will assist participants with special needs and plan activities geared to their particular needs. An adult family member must be present – a good opportunity for parents to meet other parents of children with special needs and share ideas and experiences. Parents will also have an opportunity to hear a presentation by Orin Green, a CFP with expertise in special needs planning.

A unique program that pairs caring, dedicated volunteers with children and teens with special needs, Friendship Circle reaches out to Jewish families and involves them in a full range of Jewish and social experiences.

The Chanukah party will be held at Chabad of Poway, 16934 Chabad Way, Poway, CA 92064. Admission and all activities will be free, and a light dinner will be available for purchase.

We want to have enough teenage volunteers and we don’t want to run out of delicious donuts or scrumptious latkes, so PLEASE help us in our planning and RSVP to the Friendship Circle either by e-mail to elisheva@friendshipcirclesd.com or by phone to 858-487-4879.

Friendship Circle is thrilled that Sheriff Bill Kolender will be speaking at the Friendship Circle volunteer appreciation dinner. He will be presenting each student volunteer with a certificate in recognition of their dedication. Sheriff Kolender, who served for 13 years as the Chief of the San Diego Police Department, is a long time resident of San Diego. He has been active in many community and youth organizations.

The Volunteer Recognition Dinner will honor the many volunteers who have helped to make Friendship Circle a reality in San Diego. There will be live music, a slide show, and a grand raffle for all the student volunteers with spectacular prizes including a ride in a private plane.

The dinner is commemorating a wonderful year of vounteers helping families with children, teens, and adults with special needs. They have run Yom Tov programs, taken their friends on outings, and made weekly home visits to the participants with special needs. One helper commented “It’s amazing how large Friendship Circle has grown in only 10 months. They are continuously receiving phone calls from teens and families that want to join.” The Friendship Circle offers children with special needs regular opportunities to play and socialize and provides their parents with much-needed respite. Teenage volunteers, who have been specially trained and supervised by professionals in the field, offer friendship and a range of enjoyable activities to the families. Programs and events are geared to the children with special needs and their families, allowing the entire family to spend time together in a comfortable setting. As the Friendship Circle provides assistance to families who have children with disabilities, it simultaneously “helps the helper” – empowering the teenage volunteers to build their own moral character and to grow through their volunteering.

Friendship Circle Launches Local Pilot Program

San Diego Jewish Time, September 2005

As the New Year approaches a pilot program for a unique project called "The Friendship Circle" is being started locally. This is a wonderful and meaningful program that reaches out and extends warmth and friendship to families in our community who have children with special needs.

The Friendship Circle serves a dual purpose and enriches all who participate. Pairs of teenage volunteers will visit children with special needs at their homes once a week. Their role will be to play and interact with the child, thus giving the parents a much needed respite. The children gain a friend and a meaningful relationship. The teenage volunteers become empowered and enriched as their own moral character grows through their service.

This free program has been met with incredible success in several other states, and is greatly appreciated by all those involved. It is with much excitement that we will be creating our local Friendship Circle. As we begin a pilot program we turn to you, to help us bring this program to fruition. Together, we can make it happen.

The Friendship Circle Volunteer Club provides opportunities for chesed as well as many fun events and trips for Jewish teenagers. Teens that need to fulfill community service hours for their schools can use Friendship Circle hours towards this requirement. If you know of a family with children who have special needs of any kind that would benefit by participating or if you know teens who might like to volunteer, please contact the Friendship Circle office at 858-487-4879 or send an e-mail to elisheva@friendshipcirclesd.com or visit the Friendship Circle office at 16934 Chabad Way, Poway, CA. Please remember to obtain the family’s permission prior to disclosing any information as people’s privacy and respect is a main concern. Together we can make a child’s life happier and enrich the life of a young teenager.

POWAY -- Jewish residents across the county will be wishing one another Happy New Year beginning at sundown Wednesday. In Israel, the calendar will turn to the year 5768, and over two days of services at Chabad Poway, the synagogue will be welcoming all those who seek worship, including those with special needs.

Friendship Circle, founded in 2005 by Elisheva Green, has been serving the Jewish community that in some circles have had limited access to religious celebration and education. They follow last year's success with their second Rosh Hashana.

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North Count News Sep. 9 2007

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