Volunteer

"To the world you may be one person, but to one person,you may be the world"
How would like to do something that really makes a difference – a difference in your 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. So many of your fellow teens in Fairfield County are already taking part in this amazing program, join Circle of Friends! 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. 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 volunteered year after year, are presented with a "Fellowship Award".

Find out how YOU can make a difference in the life of a child.
Click below to register as a Circle of Friends volunteer!

Home with Friends

Sunday Circle & Adult Circle

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Volunteer

Weekly 1 hour
The Home with Friends program gives you the chance to get to know your Special Friend in their own home. Together you can bake cookies, play games, create arts and crafts items, play in the snow, read books, or do just about anything you can think of!
A Home with Friends volunteer coordinator will set you up with a family, tell you everything you need to know, and constantly keep in touch with you to make sure everything runs smoothly. So
make the highlight of the child's week yours too. Volunteer for Home With Friends today!

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.

Sundays 2:00-4:00 PM - Monthly
Sunday Circle is a unique opportunity to spend quality time with special friends. You will work one-on-one helping a Special Friend, with the assistance of professional instructors. Activities include music, sports, cooking, baking, drama, crafts and special events.
YOUNG ADULT/ADULT CIRCLE
Tuesdays 6:00 - 7:30 PM - Monthly
Spend some time with The Circle of Friends young adult and adult participants. Socialize, make arts & crafts, cook, bake and enjoy music and dance with professional instructors.

Winter/ Summer Camp
Volunteer as a counselor, one week during December, & February break and end of August.

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Volunteer Program
is designed specifically for boys and girls ages 11-13, preparing for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Offering them 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.
Fund Raise
Bar & Bat Mitzvah age teens have the unique opportunity of partnering with Circle of Friends by opting to forward monetary gifts to the Circle of Friends.
Here's how it works: a fundraising web page will be designed and posted to the Circle of Friends site. Participants can share their page with family and friends who wish to send monetary gifts in honor of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Proceeds will help us further develop and expand our programs to benefit more special children and their families.
See a Sample Page here