Volunteer

Volunteer Opportunities: Bar/Bat Mitzvah -Teen Adults - College Students - Internships call or email us

How would like to do something that really makes a difference – a difference in you life and in the life of a very special child? The kind of thing that will add incredible amounts of joy and meaning to all of the other stuff you’ve got going on.
We’re talking about joining up with an exciting group called Circle of Friends. So many of your fellow teens in Fairfield County are already taking part of this amazing program. Don’t miss out!
Circle of Friends is about volunteering some of your time for a child in your neighborhood who really needs a friend – a child with special needs. It’s about the amazingly fun times and the incredible feelings of accomplishment you will enjoy while you’re at it.
Home With Friends: How does it work?
Firstly, you are paired with another teen who will be your partner in this wonderful deed. Then, after meeting with the staff, you and your buddy are matched with a child who has special needs. The two of you visit with your Special Friend at home for one hour on a weekly basis to share activities. Before long, your visits with this child become the thing he or she most looks forward to all week. The child’s parents are incredibly grateful for the welcome breather you give them. And you?... You’re blown away by how special these visits make you feel! The personal rewards are awesome!
A SPECIAL FRIEND IS WAITING FOR YOUR VISIT!

Other Volunteer Opportunities:
Sunday Circle/Teen Scene: Sunday 2:00-4:00 PM - Monthly
Sunday Circle is a unique opportunity to spend quality time with your special friend, at the same time developing their skills and boosting their self-esteem. This two hour program takes place once a month on Sunday afternoons. You will work one-on-one helping a Special Friend, With the assistance of professional instructors, music and art therapists, you'll help the kids groove to tunes, jump start creativity, enjoy story-telling, and participate in all sorts of sports, cooking, baking, drama and crafts.

HANG'N with FRIENDS - Young Adult /Adult Circle Tuesday 6:30 - 8:00 PM - Monthly
Spend some time with The Circle of Friends young adult and adult participants. Socialize, make arts & crafts, cook, bake, enjoy music and dance with professional instructors. Young Adult and adult groups meets separately.

MVP - Bar/Bat Mitzvah Volunteer Program is designed specifically for children entering into adulthood. Its purpose is to provide children preparing for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah with a meaningful way of empowering themselves as they give to others. Through hands-on volunteering at group social events, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah will get a closer look at the lives of children and teens with special needs and realize:
The importance of giving back to the community. The impact you can have on others.
At the completion of the Mitzvah Volunteer Program, each Bar/Bat Mitzvah will receive a certificate documenting his/her involvement in the program. He/she will also be presented with the opportunity to join other volunteer programs at the Circle of Friends.
Life Skills For a child with special needs, the “outside world” can seem overwhelmingly strange.Under the Life Skills program, teen volunteers and professionals help participants become comfortable in public places so they can use these facilities with confidence and ease. This, in turn, helps them to become as self-sufficient as possible

Winter/Summer Camp - Volunteer as a counselor, one week during December break and end of August.
As a small token of our appreciation for being so generous and giving of your time, we plan interactive workshops and give gifts to our volunteers.
Every year we host a Evening of Recognition Dinner to honor YOU our volunteers. Every volunteer receives a "Certificate of Friendship".
High school seniors that have consistently volunteer year after year, are presented with a "Fellowship Award".