Friendship Circle

We founded the Friendship circle to highlight a need that was not being addressed by the educational system or health professionals – the power of genuine friendship. Friendship Circle is an organization with a unique approach to supporting children with special needs. Though their peers may enjoy regular play-dates, children with special needs often experience loneliness and isolation because of a lack of appropriate social opportunities. Our innovative programming is designed to fill this void by fostering enduring and meaningful friendships between those with special needs, our “Special Friends”, and typically-developing teens, our “Teen Friends”, in the Greater Charlotte community. Our core program pairs local teens and children with special needs for weekly visits; the basis of our genuine friendships. Through a broad range of activities and events, Friendship Circle creates an atmosphere of acceptance, recognizing that all people, regardless of the obstacles and challenges they may experience, are sacred, worthy of love, and have something to contribute.