Elkins Park Residents to Receive Community Mensch Award at Friendship Circle April 2 Gala

For more than ten years, Philadelphia Friendship Circle has been fostering positive social connections between teen volunteers and youth and young adults with special needs. On Sunday, April 2, 2017 Philly Friendship, will host its annual Gala to celebrate the relationships and community that have developed through the non-profit organization. Paying homage to the special friendships that have taken flight among teens and young adults, this year’s gala is aptly themed, “Oh, the Places We’ll Go!”

Two members of the Friendship Circle community, Marsha and Darin Katz, residents of Elkins Park, will be presented “The Community Mensch Award” for the work their family has done in advocating for Friendship Circle. When asked about Friendship Circle, Marsha and Darin said “To us and our family, Friendship Circle has meant inclusion, acceptance, friendship, community, and most importantly, love. By providing our sons, Eli and Jonah, the opportunity to form friendships with youth with special needs, it has shown them that one never knows when a lasting and meaningful friendship may come one’s way. Our family has gained so much more from our involvement with the Friendship Circle than we ever could have imagined.”

Also, for the first time ever, Philly Friendship Circle teen co-chairs will be representing two “Friends at Home” friendships and sharing their own beautiful story of the program’s impact. “Friends at Home” is a unique offering from Friendship Circle which provides children with special needs the opportunity to develop a friendship with a teen volunteer in the comfort of their own home. Through Friends at Home, teen volunteers and the program participants play sports, make crafts, read books and enjoy other fun activities without the stresses of being in an a public setting.

This year’s gala will also feature a performance by White Pines Productions, a theater company dedicated to transforming people’s lives through performance creativity. White Pines focuses on inclusion and acceptance, working with children, teens, adults, and people with special needs while bringing out their best qualities and expressing themselves through theater.

“The beauty about this gala is that it fosters a sense of community, inclusiveness, and friendship all while celebrating all the teens and young adults of Friendship Circle,” said Chani Baram, director of community engagement for Philly Friendship Circle.

For registration information about the gala visit https://tinyurl.com/jbu78eu

About Philadelphia Friendship Circle

Founded by Lubavitch House in 2004, The Friendship Circle Philadelphia Region South connects teens and young adults to youth with special needs and their families, offering a full range of Jewish and social experiences. Together, they develop friendships while enjoying creative arts group activities, Jewish holiday celebrations, weekly playdates, and more. The organization creates a safe space to foster friendships between special needs children and older teen buddies while protecting them from the stresses of the outside world. These mutually rewarding relationships foster the development of a caring, supportive community.

For more information, visit http://www.phillyfriendship.org/

# # #