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Friendship Counts

Despite economy, Friendship Circle grows through community

outreach and expanded donor base.

Ronelle Grier

Meer Family Friendship Campus in West
Bloomfield. The 23,000-square-foot build-
ing abounds with activity throughout the
week. Each year, more than 2,500 special
education students from 70 local public
schools visit Weinberg Village, housed in
LifeTown's lower level, to participate in
"Lessons for Life," a program developed by
professionals in the College of Education
at Wayne State University.

Special to the Jewish News

T

he Beatles sang about getting
by "with a little help from my
friends," and this is especially
true for parents of children with special
needs. That's why more than 5,000 people
are expected on Sunday, Sept. 13, for the
annual Walk4Friendship to support an
organization that is a living embodiment
of that philosophy: the Friendship Circle
in West Bloomfield.
At a time when many organizations are
facing dwindling donations because of the
economic downturn, the Friendship Circle,
which serves more than 3,000 children
who have disabilities, continues to grow.
Executive Director Rabbi Levi Shemtov
attributes this growth to increased com-
munity outreach and a broader donor
base.
"During our first years, we built
Friendship Circle without turning to the
people who were actually using our ser-
vices',' Shemtov said. "Now we've shifted
more of the fundraising weight to our
families and volunteers. The amount of
our average donations has gone down, but
the number of donors has increased."
A successful example of this strategy
was an e-mail campaign in the fall of
2008, where each recipient was asked to
donate $1. More than $30,000 was received
within one month.
"The biggest budget in the world is
made up of single dollars," Shemtov said.
"We wanted to tell people we understood
that they may not be able to give a lot; just
donate a dollar and let us know you're still
here."
The annual Walk4Friendship, now in
its fourth year, provides about one-third
of the organization's total budget, which
is close to $1.25 million, up $100,000
from last year. The fundraising goal for
this year's walk is $400,000, and Shemtov
believes it will be achieved.
The first Walk4Friendship four years
ago raised $217,000. Last year's walk
brought in $350,000.
The heart of the Friendship Circle is
Ferber Kaufman LifeTown, located on the

Yara and Yair Hyman of Southfield at last

Learning in LifeTown: Top, Elana

year's Walk4Friendship. They and their

Kaminer and volunteer Batsheva

family can't wait to participate again this

Hadar. Bottom, Tyler Co and volun-

year on Sept. 13.

teer Brandon Rottman at the wall.

Life Lessons
Within the realistic setting of the simulat-
ed town, which includes a working traffic
light as well as a bank, a pet shop, library,
a movie theater, drugstore and beauty
salon, kids learn how to handle everyday
situations in a safe and supportive envi-
ronment.
After school hours, a variety of extra-
curricular activities designed for children
with special needs are available, including
martial arts, sports night, bowling, life
skills classes, sibling programs and movie
nights. Several new activities were added
last year, including Israeli folk dancing
with Phillip Litt and a b'nai mitzvah train-
ing program for younger volunteers. A tap
and jazz class, taught by local dance teach-
er and studio owner "Miss Barbara" will
be offered this year, sponsored by a grant
from the Jewish Women's Foundation.
Several more projects are in the plan-
ning stages, including expanded program-
ming for teens and young adults with
special needs. Recent federal grants will
be used to develop and implement new
programs in the areas of self-determina-
tion, anti-bullying and therapeutic play
training for the staff and volunteers. A
new gymnasium building, located behind
the LifeTown building, is currently under
construction.
"Year after year, they keep coming up
with new things as our children get older,"
said Sheryl Kaminer of Oak Park, whose
daughter, Elana, 15, has been participating
since the organization began.
Linda Friedman and her son, Danny,
21, were among the first families to join
Friendship Circle in 1994. Fifteen years

Friendship Counts on page 12

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