Our Impact
The Importance of Friendship
Friendship redefined
ALTHOUGH SOME CHILDREN AND TEENS MAY ACT IN WAYS THAT WOULD LEAD ONE TO BELIEVE THEY HAVE LITTLE DESIRE TO BE SOCIAL, A LACK OF SOCIAL SKILLS DOES NOT MEAN A LACK OF SOCIAL INTEREST. WE HOPE TO FOSTER FRIENDSHIPS WHERE SOCIAL BARRIERS DO NOT EXIST AND DIFFERENT FORMS OF FRIENDSHIP AND SOCIAL INTERACTION ARE ACCEPTEd: The purest form of friendship.
It has been proven and demonstrated that people with disabilities may have challenges finding and keeping friends. It has also been shown that people with disabilities truly value and crave friendship. Specifically, people with developmental disabilities reported that companionship, having someone to do shared activities with and long term friendship are particularly important to them. Many individuals with specials needs may find friendship in certain programs they attend, but when they become to old to attend these programs, they are likely to lose the friendships gained.
For these reasons, we hope to foster the creation of valuable friendships that occur outside of programs and help the child with special needs to feel valued as well as to be afforded the opportunity to engage in shared activities.
The Importance of Volunteering
Citations:
Five Benefits of Volunteering. (2014, October 31). Retrieved October 29, 2018, from http://specialneedsprograms.org/five-benefits-of-volunteering/
Snell, M. E., Brown, F., & Brown, F. (1993). Instruction of students with severe disabilities. New York: Merrill.
Swain, M., Okada, Rumiko, & O'Callaghan, Erin. (2017). Friendship within the Autism Spectrum Disorder Community: The Importance and Uniqueness of This Relationship, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.
The mother’s of Friendship Circle, along with coordinator Elinore Rabin and director Devora Caytak, had a wonderful time celebrating friendship at Renu Spa. Thank you to The Jewish Youth Library of Ottawa and the 100 Women Who Care for funding this special event.
The Friendship Circle
“Last night I received a free spa treatment, of my choice, as a gift from the Friendship Circle at Renu Spa in Westboro Ottawa.
We parents of children with, sometimes prodigious, special needs, are often burdened to our eyeballs. To be acknowledged by being offered anything, let along a gift created to allow us parents to feel taken care of was a remarkable experience.
I say this not out of a juvenile need to be seen but in recognition of the bigger picture within the greater needs of our children, that it’s quite easy to forget about oneself altogether. Perhaps it isn’t surprising that this would be the group to extend in their generous understanding of what friendship means.
And the first rule of friendship is the recognition of another’s value.
Devora made this clear when she introduced the history of Friendship Circle and said, “that everyone deserved a friend”, which touched me deeply.
There were plentiful healthy foods offered; living water and traditional drinks. And friendship.
The other mothers there were as willing to share their stories as Friendship Circle shared their support and love. Elinore, the exceptional coordinator of the offering was in attendance too. So many women, so many stories, and so many similarities that quickly, it felt like home.
I thank everyone at Friendship Circle again, and the mothers who I met as well. For one wonderful night it was okay to be me, and to talk about my children in an honest and open light that never once called into question my loyalty or love as a parent. I felt seen, heard and appreciated. Is there anything else required in a friendship?”---Wanda Bowring on Friendship Circle’s Mother’s Night Out held in January, 2020.
We are very proud to support families and further this mission of inclusion! Every action matters.
We are in the midst of social isolation and wanted to honour our mothers once again for the all the amazing work they do. As a small gesture of appreciation, coordinator Elinore Rabin hand-delivered 29 care packages from local Ottawa business, The Wash Shop, to moms in need of a little TLC. The response was terrific, and we loved seeing the happy photos sent to us by the mothers themselves!
Friendship Circle recently sent out books to the children in our Friends at Home program. A little gift to let our families know that despite being under “lockdown,” our participants are always in our thoughts. Here are some of the kind words our families had to share upon receiving their book:
“On behalf of Daniel and I, we would like to thank you for the nice surprise. It is very much appreciated and very thoughtful of you.”
“Thank you so much for the book for Nate! He read it as soon as he got it! So very appreciated :)”
“Noah was so excited to get his friendship circle book. Thank you!”
What an incredible Sunday spent with our buddies! Yesterday’s event, Cartoon Drawing presented by Vickie Chen, was a huge success – amazing participants, inclusion, and cheesecake (with an incredible buttery oat streusel and raspberries to boot).
