Around the Community: Summer Camp Partnerships at FCLA

On the second Friday of their 3-week Summer Camp, Friendship Circle Los Angeles was thrilled to welcome a group of staff and committee members from the Jewish Federation Los Angeles for an incredible visit. Our Director of Development led them on a tour of Division A's campus, showing them how their partnership has helped to make this camp a success. Division A, which runs out of FCLA, hosts all of the younger children and a seperate group of teen/young adult women (TTYA) for Jewish inspiration, daily trips and the ability to create camp memories, just like their neurotypical peers. FCLA also runs a large teen/young adult boys division, Division B, which runs simultaneously out of another location in Pico Robertson. 

During their visit, JFEDLA staff and committee members, were treated to a very special Starbucks pop-up shop, hosted by our TTYA division, and run by the young women who come every day to our Adult Day Program, where they have been focused on developing life-skills and being integrated into the community for daily jobs at our local partners. JFEDLA got the unique opportunity to enjoy TTYA's pop-up cafe, which showcased their ability to use registers, make drinks and handle money, skills that they can bring to future jobs. FCLA was also thrilled to include a group of students from Milken, who came in for the morning to participate in the coffee shop.

JFEDLA observed the camp art room, foam party, bunny play, davening and the general camaraderie and friendship that FCLA's buddies receive from their one-on-one teen volunteers. They also recieved beautiful yellow ribbon necklaces and a name of a hostage, as was given out to the teen volunteers, in order to volunteer in the merit that they each come home safely soon. It wouldn't be a visit to Friendship Circle Los Angeles, without party favors of Shabbos candles (to light in the merit of a deceased hostage), challah dough and other goodies to use over Shabbos. It was such an honor to have some of the core people who support Friendship Circle Los Angeles with yearly grants see what an impact their generosity has made on our special Summer Camp participants and their dedicated volunteer friends. FCLA always welcomes visits from schools and other groups to give the gift of friendship and expand their efforts of inclusion into the broader Los Angeles Jewish community.