Friendship Circle Brooklyn Celebrates 145 Volunteers at Appreciation BBQ

Friendship Circle Brooklyn wrapped up another incredible year of volunteering with a grand appreciation BBQ for their high school girls division.

The event was hosted outdoors in the Friendship Circle yard, right in front of their stunning new building. All 145 volunteers were welcomed with delicious BBQ food, fresh fruit, and baked goods.

The evening began with a lively and competitive game of Friendship Circle Scattergories, setting the tone for a fun, interactive program.

Mrs. Miriam Ilyayev, a Friendship Circle mother, shared about the profound impact her volunteers had on her family during this particular challenging year. She then gifted them with beautiful leather bound tehillims.

Mrs. Chani Majesky, FC director, warmly thanked each volunteer for dedicating their precious time. She spoke about the long lasting friendships that blossom 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!

The crowd then cheered on Mussia Hershkowitz who came to speak next. Mussia spoke about her two amazing sets of volunteers and the unforgettable memories they created this year.

Volunteer Dassi Jacobs reflected about her experience as a volunteer and the many lessons she learned along the way. Shaina Shneur and Leah Levin shared about the power of a real friendship, and their joy each week while visiting their buddy.

Volunteer coordinator Leah Haor acknowledged how each volunteer inserted one puzzle piece, and together as a group they were able to visit over 45 families around Crown Heights. She then thanked the volunteers, and gave shout outs to the Sunday Circle volunteers, graduating seniors, and the dedicated school presidents.

The presidents called out each of the volunteers’ names as they received their very own Friendship Circle sweater, and joined in for a grand group photo.

Before heading out, each volunteer received a full sized yearbook highlighting Friends@Home visits and volunteer programs throughout the year.

A special thank you to this year’s school presidents: Sara Goldstein, Rochele Hertzel, Baily Raitport, Chaya Rimler and Gnesha Schapiro.