Nate’s Bar Mitzvah

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Hi everyone,

For my Bar Mitzvah project, I am collecting art supplies for the Friendship Circle – LifeTown.

The Friendship Circle is an organization that holds a special place in my heart and I am proud to join the Friendship Circle volunteer family and join my older brother as he has been volunteering here for over three years. The work they do for our community is truly inspiring, and I am honored to volunteer there each week.

All donations will directly support LifeTown’s incredible programs and make a meaningful impact.

If you’d like to support my project, you can make a donation or purchase any of the following art supplies and drop off at the Lipschitz home:

Dot Paint

Play Dough

Kinetic Sand

Canvas Art

Thank you so much for your generosity and support!

Martin’s 80th Birthday

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In honor of my birthday I am raising funds to help furnish the studio kitchen at LifeTown.

LifeTown is a 53,000 sq. ft. center that is redefining the landscape for individuals with special needs. Its recreational, therapeutic and educational facilities—the first of its kind in the region—cater to the needs of children, teens and adults.

LifeTown’s focal point is “Life Village,” a simulated Main Street that prepares participants with special needs for independent living. Offering real-world scenarios in a safe and controlled environment, Life Village empowers each person to reach their full potential.

Since its inception, Friendship Circle has provided support for children and teens with special needs and their families, as well as meaningful volunteer opportunities for teens. Friendship Circle’s distinctive approach of pairing participants with teen volunteers motivates, inspires and enriches everyone involved.

Abby’s Bat Mitzvah

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Let’s Beautify the World!

Following the lead of her older sisters, Naomi & Shira, Abby Wiener is celebrating her bat mitzvah by dedicating the mezuzah to the salon at the Lifetown Campus in Livingston, NJ.  This is an extraordinary building aimed at helping individuals with special needs.

As part of the dedication, she is raising $25,000.  Abby, who’s giving nature, and love for chessed, would like to share this act of kindness with the others and would love for everyone to have a part in this unique opportunity!

To learn more about LifeTown, please visit www.lifetown.com

Rae’s Musical Mitzvah

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Dear Family and Friends,

Friendship Circle provides support for children and teens with special needs and their families. Friendship Circle’s distinctive  approach to volunteering pairs participants with teens to help provide a meaningful, inspirational, and enriching experience for everyone involved. Over the years, I participated in many Friendship Circle events with my family and chose to support the organization in honor of my Bat Mitzvah.

Music has always been a part of my life and something that brings me and my soul tremendous joy.  In honor of my Bat Mitzvah, I am donating a music center and purchased instruments for the kids that can be used every Sunday at Friendship Circle. In addition, over the last few months, I have been volunteering with my four new friends playing music and dancing together. The experience has truly been a gift to me as I have witnessed the power of music to connect people no matter their circumstances.  In lieu of gifts, please consider donating to this amazing organization to further enhance their music program.

Love

Rae

Joshua Gendel Scholarship Fund

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Josh Gendel was an important member of the LifeTown family, and the Keller Williams Suburban Realty family as well. He was loved dearly by both.

Josh  would light up KWSR with his infectious smile whenever he visited. All who knew him looked forward to his in-person appearances and his cameos in KWSR video emails.

Friendship Circle was a very important part of his life for over 20 years. The friendships he made, as well as the programs and services now offered by LifeTown, were highlights in his life and evidenced by his big, broad grin.

In his honor, his KWSR family has created the Josh Gendel Scholarship Fund at LifeTown. It is intended to provide opportunities for children in need to attend LifeTown programs. This will assist children who otherwise might not be able to take advantage of all that LifeTown has to offer. We know that Josh is smiling knowing that more children will get to enjoy all that he cherished at LifeTown.

Joshua Gendel Memorial

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Everyone who was fortunate to meet Joshua was impacted by his huge smile and positive energy.

Over the past 20+ years, Friendship Circle was always the highlight for Joshua. His face lit up whenever he spent time with his FC buddies. All the programs and events added so much meaning and joy to his life.

Donations made in Joshua’s honor will go towards LifeTown and will help bring smiles to so many children, teens and adults.

About Friendship Circle and LifeTown

Since its inception 22 years ago, Friendship Circle has provided support for hundreds of children and teens with special needs and their families, as well as meaningful volunteer opportunities for more than 7,000 teens. Friendship Circle’s distinctive approach of pairing participants with teen volunteers motivates, inspires, and enriches everyone involved.

LifeTown is a 53,000 sq. ft. center that is redefining the landscape for individuals with special needs. Its recreational, therapeutic and educational facilities—the first of its kind in the region—cater to the needs of children, teens, and adults.

LifeTown’s focal point is LifeTown Shoppes, a simulated Main Street that prepares participants with special needs for independent living. Offering real-world scenarios in a safe and controlled environment, the Shoppes empower each person to reach their full potential.

Zach’s Bar Mitzvah Project

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For my Bar Mitzvah project,  I would like to combine my love of sports and making donations to where I have been volunteering. I will be donating used sports equipment to Play It Again Sports,  which is a sporting goods store offering new and quality used sports equipment. They buy, sell and trade new and used sports equipment and fitness gear. I will donate the money I make from the sports equipment to Friendship Circle.

if you would rather donate to my page instead of donating sports equipment we would be so appreciative.

Devin’s Mitzvah Project

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Hi, my name is Devin Kirschenbaum and I am a seventh grader at Millburn Middle School. My Bat Mitzvah is in January and for my Mitzvah Project I want to raise money for the completion of the Friendship Circles swimming pool. The Friendship Circle has been a big part of my life for the past nine years, my sister Ivy has Special Needs and has a participant in Friendship Circle activities since she was a baby. My sister Ivy’s favorite activity is swimming, so I can’t wait until the pool at the Friendship Circle is complete, so that I can take her swimming year round. Thank you so much for your donations!

Mia’s Mitzvah Project

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Dear Family and Friends,

I am so lucky I had the opportunity to participate in the Friendship Circle’s Mitzvah Volunteer Program (MVP).

My peers and I trained to volunteer at LifeTown, the Friendship Circle’s new, state of the art facility.  LifeTown was built to teach the Friendship Circle’s special needs children life skills so important to their future growth.

In honor of my becoming a Bat Mitzvah, we are launching the first ever life skills cooking program at LifeTown.  It is so important for the Friendship Circle kids to learn how to shop for food and also to prepare and cook the meals for themselves.  Just ask any Friendship Circle parent.  My goal is to raise money specifically for the LifeTown studio kitchen so it will be fully equipped with everything the kids need to learn these skills.

In lieu of gifts, please help me support this incredible organization and its life skills programming by donating above.

Thank you so much.
Mia