Friendship Circle Summer Camp 2008 San Francisco's Friendship Circle Summer Camp is unique in that it teams up with Camp Gan Israel to create an unforgettable inclusion program. Programs include arts and crafts, music, drama, cooking, outdoor sports, lessons in Judaism, field trips, and much more. Our dedicated Friendship Circle volunteers are available to assist the children throughout the day and to facilitate flourishing relationships between the Gan Israel and Friendship Circle campers. Special needs children are made to feel just like everyone else – a happy camper surrounded by friends and support, enjoying the fun-filled days of summer! At the same time, the parents of Friendship Circle children are given respite knowing their children are cared for and joyful, while Gan Israel campers are given the opportunity to give in a meaningful way by befriending their peers. In the same way Friendship Circle children anticipate meeting their volunteers every week, this camp is sure to be one the children will anticipate with delight, and one that will ingrain positive memories in their hearts for years to come. The Success of Friendship Circle Camp Across the U.S. This will be San Francisco's second Friendship Circle Summer Camp and similar camps across the U.S. have already met with great success. Friendship Circle of West San Fernando and Conejo Valleys in Southern California ran a Winter Camp this past December. Co-coordinater of the camp, Rachel Laber, says, "These children tend to be dependent upon highly structured environments. When the schools they attend is suddenly let out for two weeks, it can throw them. This program provides them with a splendid synthesis of structure, fun and friendship. As a matter of fact, as we saw last year, these kids are probably enjoying their best days of the year right here and now. And at the same time, their families are getting a much needed respite and a chance to regroup in preparation for the resumption of the school after New Years." Friendship Circle of Dayton, Ohio Director Nochum Mangel of Dayton Ohio says of Friendship Circle Summer Camp, "It's just about being friends — having someone there for them. We are not therapists. We are not psychologists. We are just friends. But friendship has been proven to be one of the best therapies." In New Jersey a Friendship Circle camp was named after a young girl with cerebral palsy who passed away due to health complications. Her parents dedicated the camp to her because, to their daughter, "the camp was everything. She knew she could do the same things that other kids could do. She always came home with a smile. It was a great part of her life." http://www.njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/082406/mwFriendshipCircle.html |
