The Friendship Circle Of Washington

The Mission of Friendship Circle of Washington is to bridge the gap between special needs and typical youth through shared experience, empower special needs youth with the skills they need to live a productive and independent adult life, give parents and families much-needed respite, and nurture a sense of awareness and communal responsibility in our teens. Friendship Circle was founded by Elazar and Esther Bogomilsky in 2005. The organization was created in response to a community-defined gap in programming for the social and emotional well-being of youths with special needs. Currently, The Friendship Circle is the only organization offering a social integration model in Western Washington. Since its founding, Friendship Circle has grown markedly every year.. In the past five years, the number of youths with special needs enrolled in our programs more than doubled. This year, teenage volunteers participating in our programs surpassed 150; they represent 40 public and private schools in the greater Seattle area. Presently, the Friendship Circle maintains a waiting list for both families and volunteers, which require more staff and resources to serve.

Friendship Circle supports youths with special needs and their families through a range of educational, remedial, and recreational activities. We serves a broad range of learning and physical disabilities, as well as cognitive, developmental, and behavioral disorders. Participants represent Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder and cerebral palsy, among others. Our unique method pairs local youths with teen volunteers. Together, these pairs might participate in therapy or learn to cook a nutritious meal, for example. The social support and acceptance underlying the volunteer and youth pair is invaluable for life-skill learning, self-esteem growth, and, generally, achieving self-sufficiency.