By Jessica Davis, JTNews Correspondent
To help kids with special needs, Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky and his wife Esther started a Friendship Circle in Seattle last November.
An affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch, the Friendship Circle is an independently financed project of the Chai Center of Greater Seattle. The program reaches out to families in the Jewish community who have children with special needs. The Friendship Circle is made up of five parts: volunteers, children, parents, staff and supporters. It is the only group of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.
“It brings all comm-unities together, creating a seamless circle of friendship,” said Rabbi Bogomilsky, Executive Director of the Chai Center. “I think this is a tremendous program.”
The idea for a Friendship Circle started in Detroit in 1994 and has gradually been adapted in other cities. There is a network of friendship circles all over the country.
“We all share ideas,” said Esther, director of the Seattle Friendship Circle.
Pairs of volunteers, ages 12 and older, are matched to a special needs child of any age. The volunteers visit on a consistent schedule for about an hour at a time, either every week or every other week, giving the child’s parents some respite time. Mean-while, a caregiver remains at the home to supervise.
“Our kids look forward to it every week,” said one parent of a special-needs child. “It’s a godsend, it really is.”
“What is often missing in a special-needs child is consistent friendship,” said Esther.
The Friendship Circle requires a strong commitment from its volunteers. A mandatory one-hour training session for volunteers serves as an introduction to the group. There is no charge for volunteers or special-needs families to participate in the Friendship Circle.
“Everything is very organized,” said Esther. “It’s an efficient system.”
The Friendship Circle is as much for the volunteers as it is for the kids with special needs.
“We really make [the volunteers] an equal member of this organization,” said Esther. Volunteers are able to go on group field trips and earn individual rewards by participating in the program.
“You meet a lot of great people and it’s a lot of fun,” said 13-year-old volunteer Rachel Weinstein, who joined the Friend-ship Circle in February. Weinstein enjoys reading and playing games with her new friend.
“I like how every visit is different,” she said.
Volunteers come from Mercer Island, Seward Park and the North End of Seattle. The group keeps a confidentiality policy that volunteers do not disclose personal information about their special-needs friends. Seattle’s Friendship circle is working up to adding programs as it continues to grow.
“We’re adding more families,” said Esther. “We want to make the best match for everybody.” The next training session occurs in a couple of weeks.
“I enjoy the whole program,” said Esther. “It’s really fulfilling.”
To learn more about Seattle’s Friendship Circle, visit www.chaiseattle.com or contact Esther Bogomilsky at 206-525-5011.