Friendship Circle Volunteers Shown Appreciation
140 high school girls and their proud mothers came together at the JCM to salute the girls’ hard work and dedication to the Friendship Circle of Brooklyn. Beautiful decor and a delicious milchig buffet (setup by Chani Greenbaum Events) greeted the girls as they came in.
The program began with a fun interactive BINGO game, bringing together the girls from numerous schools and their mothers, to ‘meet’ the FC family. Yehudis Telsner won a fantastic FC swag bag for finishing her board first. A video, narrated by Professor Reuven Feurstein, presented the Rebbe’s deep insight into the world of special needs, showing the constant push for children to accomplish so much Tehillim was recited with Layah bas Nechama Dina in mind. Friendship Circle’s first ever inclusive choir was met with thunderous applause, as the girls sang a beautiful rendition of Avraham Frieds ‘Forever One’.
Mrs. Chaya Pape spoke to the girls about her experiences as a mother of a child with special needs. She stressed how much of a difference the volunteers make in the lives of the families in our community. She thanked the mothers for ‘giving up’ this time with their daughters, so they could be part of this special journey. Mrs. Chani Majesky, director of Friendship Circle of Brooklyn, encouraged the girls to recognize their inherent gifts and the responsibility they carry as a Friendship Circle volunteer. She stressed that the volunteers have the power to “reshape society’s perceptions, impact your circle of life and lead with the conviction that every individual has a unique gift worthy of giving.”
Special gifts were distributed to the High School Seniors, whose involvement with Friendship Circle over the past FOUR years has been immense. All the volunteers who dedicated their year to Friendship Circle received a beautiful sweatshirt, thanks to an anonymous donor. Special thanks to Volunteer Coordinator, Rochel Karp and the school presidents of 5778, Tehila Leverton, Chaya Sherman, Sara Kayla Schneerson, Chaya Deitsch, Malki Laine, and Tova Sufrin for organizing such a beautiful event!
Photos by ANJ Photography
