Special Needs Campus Vandalized

Dear Friends, Supporters, and Compassionate Souls,

We come to you today with heavy hearts, in the face of a revolting incident that has shaken our beloved Friendship Circle family to its core.

Our mission has always been clear - to create a safe haven for our special needs community, a place where friendship knows no bounds and dreams are nurtured.

We woke one morning this week to learn that vandals ruthlessly targeted our campus, methodically severing all wiring in both of our buildings. Why would anyone so deliberately seek to hurt us, and the children and adults we are dedicated to serve? Please watch our video, difficult as it may be, and you’ll come to the only conclusion possible.

The immediate impact of this senseless act is that our campus, vital for improving accessibility and support for our special needs friends, has been halted as we painstakingly need to re-wire the entire campus.

The financial burden is staggering. The cost to repair and rewire our buildings will be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, a sum that we could not have foreseen. We were so close! But it's not just bricks and wires; it's the broken dreams and hopes of the children and adults awaiting the personal support that they love.

The cost doesn’t end there. We are now forced to invest in a robust security system and 24-hour personnel to protect our campus during construction and ensure that such a heart-wrenching incident doesn't happen again.

The safety of our special needs community is paramount, and we refuse to let fear overshadow the love and warmth that define our Friendship Circle.

But this will not stop our campus, nor our dedication and commitment to the families we serve. There is so much love in our world, and as we begin to overcome and prevail, take a deep breath, and begin again, we believe in the power of community, in the strength of friendship, and in the boundless compassion of those who care. Together, we can rise above this adversity.

Please share our story and become a part of our journey to heal and rebuild the heart of our Friendship Circle. Your support is welcome, and your kindness will be the light that guides us through this dark time. And for that, we are eternally grateful.

With heartfelt thanks and unwavering hope,

Rabbi Yossef Harlig, Director Nechama Harlig, co-Director