Children With Special Needs Have a Place to Call Their Own
Clauida Potamkin, Nechama Harlig, Yossef Harlig
“I always would say, ‘I don’t understand Daniel’s lingo'” says Daniel’s mother Nancy Veitia, a retired teacher. “But through the Friendship Circle he was able to meet a child that understands him. They were talking back and forth about movies and characters and episodes. It was the first time I saw my son connect with someone. I’m sure he felt that finally, someone understood him. I’ve had many sleepless nights, but after that I was smiling all day.”
Daniel is one of 14o special needs kids who – at minimal cost – benefits daily from the Friendship Circle’s programs. But with enrolled families so devoted and the autistic population ballooning, thousands of autistic children are going unserved. That’s why three years ago, Rabbi Yossef Harlig and his wife Nechama Harlig — who have been running the program has since its inception in 2004 – began plans for expansion by diligently acquiring the Kendall center’s neighboring space, securing zoning rights, drawing plans for a new facility, setting out to raise money and assembling a board of directors that today includes business and philanthropic powerhouses such as finance guru David Evensky, neurologist Dr. Trevor Resnick, attorney Robert C. Joesefsberg, mega property manager Paul Kaplan, foundation president Tracey Berkowitz, former school board member Raquel Regalado and philanthropist Claudia Potamkin.
“It’s been galvanizing to see how much support exists in our community for children with special needs,” says Potamkin, who doesn’t have autism in her family but was introduced to the center when her son years earlier had volunteered.”Human connection is essential. Children are most vulnerable as their senses of selves are developing. When they don’t belong, are different and bullied their self-esteem suffers greatly. I appreciate the many great causes in our community but the work of the FC is critically important and still very much under the radar”.
That’s exactly the sentiment that prompted the Harligs to take on the program in Miami, shortly after it was born in Michigan. Alongside the Chabad chapter they head – though Friendship Circle is a separate organization and over 80 percent of the participants are not Jewish — it started years ago as a home program, says Nechama Harlig.
Mainstream teen volunteers visit children with autism and other disabilities, fostering friendship and giving parents – who are required to be in the house — much needed time to focus on, say, laundry or another sibling. Today the majority of the programs run from the Chabad campus and one-on-one teen volunteers are still a key ingredient, helping with various instruments at band practice, cooking, sports, or the life skills course that takes special needs kids to the post office, library, the gym and the metro.”After friendship, what do parents want most for their child who has special needs?'” asks Yossi Harlig. “To function in the world. And for that, they need life skills.” The new campus will offer the same interactive programming along with the addition of onsite therapies, job training, quiet lounges, kitchens and family social areas for parents who are often in great need of support.
With the program enormously successful, and its demand expanding, the Friendship Circle has managed to attract the kind of support once reserved for widely recognized organizations. In addition to individual donors, organizations have taken note with grants coming from The Children’s Trust and Batchelor Foundation. The campaign aims to raise $9 million dollars and is about a third of the way there.
“Being involved in the community” says Nechama Harlig, “it’s upon us to care about everyone. Now children with special needs will be part of the community. And families will have a place that would be inclusive, compassionate and non-judgmental.”
Want to help? Sign up for the Friendship Circle Walk-a-thon at www.walking4friendshipmiami.com to learn about the Friendship Circle visit www.friendshipcirclemiami.org
Brett Graff is SocialMiami.com’s managing editor and has been a journalist covering money, people and power for over 20 years. Graff contributes to national media outlets including Reuters, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Maxim, and the PBS show, Nightly Business Report. A former U.S. government economist, her nationally syndicated column The Home Economist is first published in The Miami Herald and then on the Tribune Content Agency, where it’s available to over 400 publications nationwide. She is broadcast weekly on two iHeartRadio news shows and is the author of “Not Buying It: Stop Overspending & Start Raising Happier, Healthier, More Successful Kids,” a parenting guide for people who might be tempted to buy their children the very obstacles they’re trying to avoid.