Causes

Diversity & inclusion Youth development

Posted by

Chana K.

Founder and Head of Community Engagement

Our mission

Friendship Circle's mission is to empower young people to create communities where people with disabilities experience acceptance and inclusion.

Our goals are to:
Meet the social and emotional needs of young people with disabilities through connections with peers in the community.
Ease the isolation often felt in families with children with disabilities.
Create meaningful opportunities for young people with and without disability to be a part of and lead their communities.
Enrich, inspire and motivate young people.
Create a sense of responsibility and connection to the Jewish community for young people through educational and social opportunities.

What we do

We offer a range of programs and initiatives to empower young people and the community to build a better world where people with disabilities experience acceptance and inclusion.

Our programs predominantly support children (ages 4-12), teenagers (ages 13-18), and young adults (18+) with disabilities. They are paired with teen volunteers and young adult volunteers and enjoy a variety of activities together that encourage the forming of long-lasting friendships.

We also advocate for disability rights, awareness and inclusion, for example by offering educational sessions to schools and daycares, providing guidance to organisations to make their events more accessible, and shining a spotlight on the importance of talking about disability inclusion and mental health awareness in the community.

Programs:
Junior and Teen Sunday Circle
These fortnightly programs offer participants and volunteers the opportunity to engage in fun activities, such as yoga, drumming, and Lego building, while connecting with each other and building friendships.

Soccer and Gymnastics Sports Club
Children and teens with and without disabilities come together to practice their soccer and gymnastics skills and burn off some energy!

Friends at Home and Young Adult Friends at Home
Participants with and without disabilities meet up regularly and enjoy fun activities and outings together.

FC Social
Young Adults with and without disability meet up every Sunday to go out for coffee, have dinner, or try a new activity.

Junior and Teen Day Camp
During school holidays children and teens with disabilities and our teen volunteers come together to hang out, go swimming, meet reptiles, and even make action movies together!

Junior and Teen Getaway
We head off to a beautiful farm 2-4 times a year, meet the local fire brigade, learn karate moves, swim and do yoga together, watching beautiful friendships grow.

Young Adult Getaway
A group of young adult participants and volunteers jump on a plane to Melbourne for a fun weekend filled with delicious food, exploring the city and connecting with the Jewish community in Melbourne.

Friendship Bakery
Our bakery is a social enterprise that aims to empower young people living with disability by challenging them to take on the responsibilities of creating and selling their own baked products.

Mums'/ Dads' Night
We offer parents of children with a disability regular opportunities to catch up and connect.

Family Shabbat Dinner
Our families come together for a delicious dinner where they have the opportunity to catch up and learn from an inspirational person in the community.

Friendship Walk
Once a year we walk together to raise important funds to support our programs and community initiatives.