one of the things we're interested \_ in is reaching out to new families /j who have small children who are just now getting diagnoses or peo- ple who've had a crisis, maybe the onset of a mental illness or a car accident," says Ms. Kaczander, the head of the Federation Re- source Line. She will serve as chairperson of the advisory com- mittee of the Keshet Family Sup- port Program. Nine-year-old Molly Grier. Shirlee Wyman Harris, for- merly the family assistance co- ordinator at JARC, has become Keshet's full-time coordinator. \_Th She explains that one of the /-/ missions of the new program is doing "person-centered plan- ning." "We ask them, 'What are their dreams, what are their night- mares?' We talk about who the person is, what kind of strengths and talents he or she has, and what he or she needs. And from that we build an action plan." "Circles of support" are a way of bringing in the talents of peo- ple who are not personally touched by developmental dis- abilities. "Personally, what I see as a big challenge is for not only families of children with special needs to be heard and be integrated into the larger community. "Hopeful- ly, people will get interested in be- ing a part of somebody's circle. It's a wonderful way for people to be- come a part of a community," she says. ❑ A Circle Of Love Teen-agers make life a little easier for parents who have children with special needs. JULIE EDGAR SENIOR WRITER I t may be the most effective Jewish volunteer force around. Equipped with ready smiles, abundant energy and a deeply felt desire to help, 75 then-age vol- unteers, all girls, each put in two hours weekly assisting families with children with special needs. The families, many of them members of Keshet, "are thrilled beyond belief' with the girls, who are drawn from schools ranging from Beth Jacob School for Girls to North Farmington High School, says Carol Kaczander, the chairman of the advi- sory committee of the newly configured Keshet Family Sup- port Program. The woman be- hind the volunteer program is 24-year- old Basi Shemtov, who helped her hus Shirlee Wyman Harris: Keshet's full-time coordinator. "It's amazing how we have band, Rabbi Levi Shemtov, es- tablish the Daniel Soble Friend- more volunteers now than fain- ship Circle. The mission of that ilies. I have girls who call me organization is to reach out to iso- begging for jobs. They really la.ted Jews, many of them with want to be a part of it," she says. substance-abuse problems. Rab- The program started with 20 vol- bi S.hemtov said the program was unteers. Aside from the joy of giving, a logical extension of the Friend- there are other benefits ship Circle. t''i for the volunteers: Every "I met with mem-, ,,..,, . '‘ 1 't