Thousands will join together and walk in support of The Friendship Circle of the North Shore on Sunday, May 22.
The Friendship Circle is a fast-growing Jewish organization for children with special needs that creates special bonds of friendship between teenage volunteers and
the special-needs children as they spend hours having fun together.
The goal of the walk is to raise $250,000 toward building a new Friendship Circle center.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe said that for individuals to be complete, their communities must be all-inclusive. The Friendship Circle is working towards that goal in Great Neck by integrating children with special needs into the mainstream community, primarily by pairing them with teenage volunteers who visit them weekly.
The Friendship Circle’s revolutionary programs impact in numerous ways:
1. The Children Children with special needs often have limited social lives. The visits from The Friendship Circle volunteers are high points of the week for these children. The volunteers brighten the lives of the special-needs children with their friendliness and inclusiveness.
2. The Teenage Volunteers When the teens see the smiles on the faces of the children, volunteers of The Friendship Circle invariably join other communal and humanitarian projects. The youngsters learn to truly value nurturing and caring, and begin to give back to the community more and more as they grow.
3. The Families Families receive much-needed weekly respites when their children are on trips with The Friendship Circle or are being visited by the volunteers. Even more valuable is the joy and pleasure the families receive by seeing their children become valued and respected members of the community circle.
Here in Great Neck, The Friendship Circle is growing fast and new volunteers are joining every week. One of the highlights is the Friends at Home initiative where children are visited by two friends for their very own playdate. Other weekly programs include Sunday Circle when the children go on trips accompanied by volunteers, Sports Circle on Tuesdays and Cooking Circle on Thursdays. Two new programs include Interactive Hebrew Reading and the Art Circle.
Rabbi Yoseph Geisinsky of Great Neck Chabad invites everyone to walk a mile for Friendship with him. After reaching the finish line, all participants will enjoy a free celebration with entertainment, a barbeque, moon bounces, face paint and more. Join him in helping The Friendship Circle raise crucial funds and community awareness for individuals with special needs—you can help make a difference.
The Friendship Circle Community Walkathon and Carnival will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 400 East Shore Rd. in Great Neck. Consider donating, sharing and, of course, joining in as everyone marches proudly through the streets of Great Neck.
For more information, to register, sponsor a walker or get your own limited edition T-shirt, visit www.walk4friendshipgn.com or www.face book.com/events/592379840931133.
For further information or to become a volunteer, call 516-654-6000 or visit www.friendshipcirclegn.com.
