Dear Friend,

Thank you for visiting the Friendship Circle website. 

When browsing this website, you will notice that the services and departments of the Friendship Circle seem to be diverse.  However, to us, it all grows out of the same idea – appreciating a person for their beautiful, flawless soul, rather than seeing them for flaws, that are essentially external.  

Let us tell you how the Friendship Circle got started. 

Fifteen years ago, Lubavitch Foundation of Michigan asked us if we would consider starting an organization focused on bringing friendship to those who need friends.  The idea came as a result of a generous contribution from the Sam and Carol Sobel family  who were inspired by the unusually special friendship between a Lubavitch rabbi, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Kagan, of blessed memory, and their son Daniel, of blessed memory. On the surface, these two gentlemen had very little in common, but what brought them together was a connection of souls. Rabbi Kagan and Danny’s friendship was inspired by a mission, set forth by the Lubavichter Rebbe. His mission was to see people for their soul rather than their external flaws.

We accepted the Rebbe’s mission fifteen years ago knowing we were about to dedicate our entire life to Friendship. We originally thought we would be helping those in-need of friendship, however, and as time progressed we realized that an equal impact of the Friendship Circle would be on our volunteers.

Earlier this year, I overheard a volunteer explain Friendship Circle to her friends. She said, “Friendship Circle gives children with special needs the opportunity to change the lives of their volunteer.” That was an amazing thing to hear. And we truly believe that aspect is what makes the program so popular today.

Today the Meer Family Friendship Center is truly a center teaming with Friendship.  It consists of the Daniel B. Sobel Friendship House where hundreds of community members come to give, receive and share in friendship to help their recovery from addiction and other related problems. Ferber Kaufman LifeTown is a place where thousands of children with special needs feel the warmth of friendship from more than 800 volunteers of our Morrie and Sybil Fenkell volunteer club. The children also receive valuable life-skill lessons, utilizing our unique Weinberg Village. Most importantly, the lessons and experiences learned at LifeTown are taken out in the real-world where the children can feel self-confident and independent.

We are also proud that there are now Friendship Circle’s in 80 locations spanning seven countries.  This embodies the powerful ability for friendship to spread around the world.

From our beginning, we have been fortunate to attract an extremely generous group of founding supporters, many of whom have gone above and beyond what they have contributed to charity, to support our work.   Now through our Annual Walk4Friendship, we receive donations from more than 3,500 community members as well.

Our 3,000 families with special needs and their remarkable children remind us everyday what friendship truly means. Friendship is a judgment-free haven, unconditional love, utmost patience, a heart overflowing with pride and the infallible strength that holds it all together. Once you have experienced a child, sibling or parent living with such perseverance day in and day out, you cannot help but look within yourself to embody that same spirit.

I invite you to learn more about the Friendship Circle.  If you are someone who needs the programs we provide or you would like to volunteer, please contact us and join our circle.  And if you would like to support our programs, which benefit so many in our community members, please browse our “Supporters” section to see the many different ways you can help us. Either way, please feel free to contact us at any time.

Each time the door opens at LifeTown, an opportunity is created to change a life. That is why our 900 volunteers come here everyday. Not just to change the life of a child with special needs, but to walk out of LifeTown’s doors with a renewed spirit.

Friendship Circle is so much more than a non-profit dedicated to children with special needs. We provide every-day people a chance to change their life. And this year, we challenge you to change yours. Yes, of course there will be tons of exciting programs and events as usual. But this time we look forward to a life-changing year!

In Friendship, 

Rabbi Levi & Bassie Shemtov