i volunteeer and belong to freindship circle of chabad san diego ,california. i have asperger's but am hgihly functioning. Our group under the leadership of elisheva green, works with developmental disabled children and some adults and their families. though chabad is an orthodox jewish organization , jews and even some non-jews are welcomed and all are treated with respect and digiity and made to feel special. we have activites like painting,and making challah(jewsih bread) ,make crafts for passover,and chanukah, and purim ahving us learn abotu the holidays while using our hands and minds as well! we go to the zoo,and boomers(mini-golf and other activites), also we learn to work with one another and see that each of us are unique. Friendship circle provides a helathy environment for the families and participants in the program. For me i dont have a car and freidnship circle provides a inexpensvie way to spend time with other jews and feel a sense of belonging and family . the volunteers i work with our so cool too becuse they are patient and understanding and dont treat us like stupid children or intimidate us. being with them is like being with the kind of people who make you forget you have a disbility and feel you in a place where disability is not a llimiting factor where what ever we do be it singing or planting a tree,or particiapte in religious ceremony or drawing or painting or other crafts is appereciated. i wish the whole world was like Friendship circle and have made many real freidns they are great!