4‘ i 0SM P
it, t e
RONELLE GRIER
Special to the Jewish News
T
he healing power of friend-
ship is never more apparent
than inside the walls of the
Friendship Circle's new home on the
Meer Family Friendship Center cam-
pus in West Bloomfield.
After 10 years of providing pro-
grams and support for children with
disabilities and people whose lives are
touched by addiction, the organization
finally has a campus to call its own.
Components are the Ferber Kaufman
LifeTown Building, which incorpo-
rates the Weinberg Village for children
with special needs, and the Daniel B.
Sobel Friendship House, which serves
Jewish people and their family mem-
bers who struggle with drug addiction,
alcoholism and other compulsive
behaviors.
Under the direction of Rabbi Levi
and Bassie Shemtov, Detroit's
d'
Friendship Circle, founded by the
Lubavitch Foundation of Michigan, • 8
has become a model for the 35 other
1
Friendship Circles around the world.
According to Rabbi Shemtov, the
two-story, 23,000-square-foot Ferber
Kaufman LifeTown Building is the
first facility of its kind. The facility's .
grand opening will be at 1 p.m.
Sunday, June 5. Regular hours will
kick in this fall.
Kids with special needs
Bred real-life experiences
at new skills center.
COVER STORY
State-Of-The-Art Dream
JN
5/5
2005
16
"Our original plans were for a 7,500-
square-foot building, but we kept
adding to it," said Bassie Shemtov,
who consulted with therapists and
other specialists locally and nationally
to create an environment where chil-
dren can learn and practice the skills
they need to enhance their daily func-
tioning and improve the overall quali-
ty of their lives.
There is a special gross motor room
with suspended swings, protective
padding and a rock-climbing wall;
down the hall, another room is devot-
ed to tactile activities, such as weigh-
ing and measuring dried beans.
State-of-the-art equipment utilizing
the high-tech, multi-sensory light and
sound Snoezelen system developed in
Holland will help children deal with
Danny Jonas, 18, of Bingham Farms gets a quick check-up from registered nurse
Phyllis Meer of Oak Park.
stress by improving sensory process-
ing.
A miniature apartment, complete
with a sofa bed and fully equipped
kitchen, will enable children to
learn and practice daily living skills
such as making a bed or preparing a
meal.
The computer room has digital
cameras and touch screens for those
children unable to use a conventional
keyboard. The art room has wall-sized
easels, large tables and all kinds of
paints and other materials designed to
unleash creativity.
A tiled shower-dressing room has an
actual waterfall and a sound machine
that simulates rain and thunder. It also
has tables for water play, a favorite
therapeutic activity for many children
with special needs.
Children will be able to participate
in music, dance and yoga in a room
with a mini-stage, working micro-
phone and mirrored wall.
There is an outdoor deck for the
adults, complete with barbecue facili-
ties; a separate deck for the children has
its own gardening area, picnic tables
and a hose to wash away the remains of
even the messiest art projects.
The heart of the Friendship Circle
program is the Morrie and Sybil
Fenkel Volunteer Club, made up of
more than 350 teenagers who develop
ongoing personal and deeply meaning-
ful friendships with the Friendship
Circle children.
The volunteer lounge is a teenage
fantasyland — equipped with comput-
ers, an X-Box system, a pool table and
.snacks, including cappuccino and
Slurpee-type machines.
"It's a place for the kids to connect,
hang out, do their homework and just
have a good time," said Bassie
Shemtov.
There is also a lounge for parents to
relax while their kids are occupied,
complete with comfortable sofas, com-
puters and a resource library.
According to the Shemtovs, the total
cost of the LifeTown building is $4.5
million. After the first $3.5 million
had been raised, the Harry and
Jeanette Weinberg Foundation of
Baltimore offered a half-million-dollar
matching grant so the construction
could be completed.