Friendship Circle to host its annual walk to help people with special needs
Thousands of supporters are expected to come together next week for the Friendship Circle's 17th annual Walk4Friendship, which aims to raise awareness and money for people with special needs and their families.
The event, scheduled for Aug. 28 at the Friendship Circle's Farber Center in West Bloomfield, begins with an opening ceremony followed by the nearly 2-mile walk.
The annual event has drawn between 3,000 to 5,000 walkers, and is the nonprofit's largest community fundraiser of the year.
The Friendship Circle of Michigan offers programing for people with special needs, including after-school sports as well as educational and artistic outlets and workforce training, powered by its staff of 25 and 50 teen volunteers.
“We have so many volunteers and thank God our community has supported us financially and allowed us to grow the way we have grown," said Friendship Circle Co-Founder and Co-Director Bassie Shemtov.
The organization has long helped children with special needs, but recognized a demand for adult programming as well.
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The Friendship Circle owns and operates a full studio art gallery and a café where adults with special needs are trained and offered support.
“We can train adults with special needs in the café," Shemtov said. "Meanwhile, more than 75 artists come in anywhere between two and five days a week 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. We sell their work, and they get 50% of what we sell.”
The Friendship Café, Bakery, & Art Studio offers a patient environment for adults with special needs to develop skills for the workforce. Trained graduates can find employment at other restaurants, or they can join the team at the café and bakery.
Carlie Suris, a former Friendship Circle youth participant, makes paintings and drawings at the Soul Studio. With the help of the studio, she sells her pieces to people in the community.
“The art studio has helped me a lot,” said Suris, who uses a wheelchair. “I'm also able to make art and then people see my art and they’re impressed with it. It makes me feel good. My grandpa was a big part of the Friendship Circle. ... He loved coming to Friendship Circle and I'm sure if he was here now, he would love to know that I’m making art.”
Suris says her work at The Soul Studio has given her the courage to be more independent.
“I was a pretty quiet person, but now that I've been here for a long time, I've gotten out of my shell,” said Suris. “I’m more confident and I ask for less help going places because I know my way around pretty well."
Shemtov said children with special needs aren’t the only ones who feel abandoned by society. Their parents feel left out, too. That's why the nonprofit offers resources for the parents of kids with special needs by offering nights out for parents and other supporting events.
“We do spa treatments,” Shemtov said. “We give them dinner. We treat them to art projects. We do whatever we can to help the parents feel loved and accepted."
Walkers in this year's event can expect food, entertainment and activities at the finish line, including a rock-climbing wall, photo booths, several bounce houses and rides.
The nonprofit aims to raise $650,000 during the walk, Shemtov said. To meet this goal, the organization has developed an incentive-based system for fundraising, offering prizes, including Tigers tickets, sweatshirts and T-shirts at different fundraising levels.
“It's a free event, which we're very proud of. No registration costs," Shemtov said. "Yes, we have to raise money for the Friendship Circle, but this is a family and community."
Registration for the Friendship Circle Walk4Friendship is still open. For more information, go to Walk4Friendship.com.
Neely Allen, who recently graduated from Groves High School and will attend Wellesley College in the fall, is a Detroit Free Press Summer Apprentice.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Friendship Circle to host its walk to help people with special needs
