Mission

Founded on the belief of V’Ahavta L’Reacha Kamocha (love your fellow as yourself), The Friendship Circle is dedicated to creating a supportive Jewish community for special needs children, their families and high school volunteers, giving them the opportunity to unearth their potential, make positive life choices, and realize their dreams.

Since 2006, The Friendship Circle has accomplished its mission by:

• Matching teen volunteers with special needs children and their families
• Developing a network of programs and services for children with special needs offered by caring adults and trained peers
• Creating a sense of responsibility and connection to the Jewish community for high school students and families of children with special needs through enriching educational and social opportunities.
• Providing workshops, lectures, programs and parties for parents of children who have special needs. 

Vision

We envision a more accepting local and regional Jewish community that embraces young people with special needs and their families, including them as active participants in a full array of activities and experiences. We will have extensively expanded our scope of programs and services to serving children with special needs on all levels of the spectrum, as well as duplicating our ongoing programs to be offered in more areas on the Peninsula. We will have collaborated with the new JCC in Palo Alto for our Winter/Summer Camps and Sunday Circle, and will be housed in an office facility with classrooms and a lounge area for teens and parents.

We also foresee the creation of a community whereby youth will be nurtured and inspired to participate in the innovative and stimulating programs provided by TFC and other Jewish organizations. Their active participation will assist them in finding meaning, purpose, and self-worth in what they do; embracing a sense of connection to and responsibility for the greater Jewish community.  We view this as essential to developing and producing the next generation of members and leaders of Jewish community.