When leaders of Chabad of Boca Raton realized that some of their members with special-needs children felt isolated, lonely and left out, they decided to come up with a way to maintain stronger connections with them. The result was Friendship House of Boca Raton, a not-for-profit established in 2020 that provides support to kids and young adults with special needs and their families.
Rabbi Sholom Kessler
Led by Rabbi Sholom Kessler and his wife, Itta, Friendship House offers recreational, social and education programs that help special-needs individuals to make friends, learn new skills and have fun. It also has nights out for moms and dads to give them a chance to socialize with friends and get some relief from the demands of caring for a child with Down syndrome, autism, ADHD or other disability.
“In the Chabad community, we noticed that our members with special-needs children lacked that sense of belonging and social inclusion,” says Kessler. “It’s a challenge to raise a child with special needs. It becomes much more difficult.”
Friendship House is affiliated with Chabad of Boca Raton and many of its activities are held there, but the charity is nonsectarian. “Through word of mouth and social media, we are slowly growing to a wider community. We are excited about it,” says Kessler, 31, a father of three.
Volunteers with Friendship House, most of them high school students, play soccer with their special-needs friends, join them for art, music and dance activities and visit them at their homes.
“We have close to 50 events annually,” says Kessler. “We decided Friendship House was the perfect opportunity for us to engage high school students. They are blown away by the experience. They learn patience.
“We believe that individuals with special needs have the potential to influence others in a unique way.”
On Feb. 5, Friendship House will hold Walk4Friendship in Burt Aaronson South County Regional Park in Boca. The fundraising goal is $72,000. After a short walk of 15 minutes or so, there will be a carnival, a BMX show, a barbecue and other family activities.
“It’s going to be a festive day,” Kessler says.
For information, call (561) 788-4388, or visit bocafriendship.com or walk4friendshipboca.com.