Friendship Circle Brooklyn celebrated another full year of volunteering with a grand Appreciation Garden Party for their girls division.
The setting was perfect. A large and airy outdoor space, beautiful weather, and dairy buffet, that included home-made salads, flatbreads, cheese boards, a special run of Boozery non-alcoholic ice cream and other assorted refreshments.
Mrs Chani Majesky, FC Director, began the evening by thanking each volunteer for dedicating her precious time throughout the year. She spoke about the long lasting friendships that happen between volunteers and their families, how the waves of change towards acceptance and understanding of our special children can be traced back to the Friends at Home visits. It may be just one hour a week for the volunteers, but the ripple effect that this has on the community is far-reaching and long lasting!
On behalf of all the volunteer mothers, Mrs. Blachman showed her appreciation towards FC for allowing her children to volunteer. She sees firsthand how impactful this has been on each of them and their own family. The focus and light that it brings to their life, regardless of what else is happening, is tremendous.
It was then that the volunteers themselves took the stage! Volunteers Rivka Korn and Leah Wolfe shared their personal experiences about their trepidation towards volunteering and how they pushed through, and created the most meaningful experiences with their buddy Esther. “We don’t speak the same language. We didn’t understand what she wanted. We had to learn the ropes. Not always seeing the fruits of our labor, but planting the seeds nonetheless. We learnt that I love you, comes in different forms.” Their honest recollections resonated deeply with the 100+ Friendship Circle volunteers in attendance.
Levi S surprised his volunteers when he showed up and spoke about how thankful he is that the girls visit him every week.
“What is a cheerleader?” FC mom representative, Esti Lesches, asked the crowd. She showered her appreciation onto the girls, thanking them for bringing so much joy and light to their home.
Volunteer coordinator Sarah Thaler spoke about how, despite the fact she was raised with a brother with autism, it is only now that she is beginning to understand the important role that friendship plays in each person’s life. She then thanked the school presidents for their dedication.
As the evening came to an end, the girls were called up individually to receive a token of appreciation – a beautiful new piece of FC merch. The night ended with a group photo! The first ever for the girls division!
Photos by Rebecca Howard
