Friendship Circle of Virginia

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Richmond, VA
Friendship Circle of Virginia

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Building an Inclusive Community, One Friendship at a Time Teenagers are a perfect fit for this program. Why?

Friends At Home:

This core program pairs teens with individuals with disabilities for weekly home visits during the school year, and these visits are enhanced by a full range of innovative group activities and events. Together, these programs create a special atmosphere of acceptance and love, demonstrating that all people, regardless of the obstacles and challenges they may face, are in need of friendship. Because this age group is extremely aware of the prejudices and stereotypes in today’s society and are uniquely qualified to affect a change in the culture. As the teens spend time enjoying games, sports, baking, or whatever activity their friend chooses, a bond of trust and friendship develops and they become role models for their new friends. The teens discover the unique abilities of their friends and get to see the social impact they’re making on an entire family. The children and young adults with disabilities thrive as they gain confidence in social settings and are able to enjoy activities with their very own friends. The experience fosters the development of compassion, responsibility, appreciation, leadership, loyalty and a stronger sense of community. For children and teenagers, nothing is more empowering.

11/06/2026

Friendship Circle of Virginia’s Executive Director, Sarah Kranz-Ciment, spent today with the amazing middle and high school students at Rudlin Torah Academy for an inclusion lesson. Together, they explored simple but meaningful ways to build an inclusive community, from saving a seat and greeting someone by name to understanding that friendship grows by showing up again and again.

Thank you to RTA for welcoming Sarah and for sponsoring Sunday's Walk N Roll!

We look forward to seeing everyone Sunday, November 8, from 1–3 PM at Swan Lake in Byrd Park.

Register at FCVAWalkNRoll.com

11/06/2026

We hope to see you THIS SUNDAY at our 6th Annual Walk N Roll and Friendship Fair!

Walk, run, roll, bike, scooter, use a mobility aid, or skate around the beautiful 0.7-mile loop as we celebrate friendship and inclusion!

This is a FREE event for all ages!

Sunday, November 8
1:00–3:00 PM
Swan Lake, Byrd Park

Free swag bags for the first 200 registrants, limited to two per family.

Register today at FCVAWalkNRoll.com

11/06/2026

Friendship Circle of Virginia is so excited to welcome back Makom on a Roll, the kosher food truck from Char Bar restaurant in Washington, D.C., to our 6th Annual Walk N Roll and Friendship Fair!

This amazing food truck, run in partnership with Makom Group Home, provides meaningful employment for adults with disabilities and serves up delicious kosher eats for everyone to enjoy.

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Galpern Family, we’re thrilled to have them back for this event! 🙌

🌭 Food will be available for purchase.
🗓 Sunday, November 8 | 1–3 PM
📍 Swan Lake in Byrd Park
🎉 Free, inclusive community event for all ages and abilities

Come out to support this incredible initiative and enjoy great food, friendship, and fun! 💜

Register today: FCVAWalkNRoll.com

11/05/2026

Thank you to our Teen Leadership Board members (and Steve) for packing up swag bags for our 6th Annual Walk N Roll and Friendship Fair!

10/02/2026

We’re hiring!

Friendship Circle of Virginia is looking for a Program Admin to help keep our growing programs and events organized, running smoothly, and welcoming for everyone.

If you’re detail oriented, dependable, organized, and enjoy working with a small team to create meaningful experiences for individuals and families of all abilities, we’d love to hear from you.

Learn more at friendshipcircleva.org/jobs or email your resume to [email protected].

09/29/2026

October at Friendship Circle: Upcoming Events & More - https://mailchi.mp/friendshipcircleva/october2026

09/28/2026

Check out our October Reflector Article all about our upcoming Walk N Roll!

"Friendship Circle of Virginia is excited to invite the community to its 6th Annual Walk N Roll & Friendship Fair, taking place at a new location within Byrd Park: Swan Lake!"

https://www.reflectornews.org/our-community/friendship-circle-hosts-6th-annual-walk-n-roll-friendship-fair

09/24/2026

Last night, we welcomed our teen volunteers and their parents for our 2026 Teen and Parent Orientation.

We spent time talking about Friendship Circle, the importance of friendship and inclusion, and the many ways our Teen Friends can be involved throughout the year, including our new Teen Scene program.

Our teens then broke into groups for a role playing exercise, working through different situations they may encounter as a Teen Friend and discussing ways to build meaningful connections with their friends.

Attendees heard from several members of the Friendship Circle community. A teen volunteer shared his experience as a Teen Friend, a parent of a Teen Friend shared their perspective, and a Friendship Circle board member shared her perspective as both a mom of children with disabilities who participate in our programs and as a mom of a Teen Friend.

It was a great evening of learning, conversation and preparing our teens for a meaningful year of friendship and inclusion.

We’re excited to see where this group goes this year!

09/23/2026

***HELP WANTED***

Friendship Circle of Virginia, is looking for 5 people to help with setup and cleanup for our 6th Annual Walk N Roll & Friendship Fair!

Sunday, November 8
Swan Lake in Byrd Park

9:30 AM–12:30 PM
Unload truck & event setup

3:00–4:00 PM
Event cleanup

Tasks include:
* Tent and table setup
* Route setup
* Electrical setup
* Setup and arrangement of event equipment and supplies

$20/hour

Must be able to lift 50+ pounds, safely move event equipment, and work in a fast-paced environment.

Interested?
[email protected]
(804) 740-2000 ext. 4

09/17/2026

Last night was the first Teen Leadership Board meeting of the year!

We welcomed both new and returning members and kicked off the year by getting to know each other and hearing each member share their “why” and what they hope to accomplish as part of Friendship Circle TLB this year.

Board member, Nathan challenged everyone to dream big as he got the group thinking about their ambassador projects and the impact they can make in our community.

We’re excited to see what this group dreams up and accomplishes this year!

09/14/2026

Please join us at the O.B. Gates Disability Resource & Community Fair on Tuesday, September 22 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM!

O.B. Gates Elementary School
10001 Courthouse Rd
Chesterfield, VA 23832

Friendship Circle will be there with a table, and we would love to connect with families, educators, and community members. Come say hello, learn more about Friendship Circle, and discover resources and programs available in our community.

Admission is free and all are welcome!

Register: https://tinyurl.com/OBGatesFair

09/10/2026

What a great start to the new Friendship Circle year!

Our Kickoff at Surge at Regency brought together so many familiar faces and new friends. We were excited to welcome 8 new families and 9 new Teen Friends to Friendship Circle!

A big thank you to all of the families who joined us, and to our Teen Friends who volunteered their time and made new connections. We are so excited to see where these friendships go this year.

Thank you to our Friendship Circle board members who came out to support our community and welcome our new families and Teen Friends.

And a special thank you to Surge at Regency for being so welcoming and accommodating and helping us create such a fun and inclusive kickoff!

We are also grateful to fas mart, QTS, and the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond for sponsoring all of our Birthday Circles this year and helping make these experiences possible for our families.

We are looking forward to a great year of friendship, connection, and new experiences together!

Address

212 N Gaskins Road
Richmond, VA
23238

Website

http://www.fcva.org/, https://linktr.ee/fcva

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