Special-needs families get a Saturday night out
By Johanna Ginsberg
NJJN Staff Writer
December 22, 2010
Lori Solomon of North Caldwell was thrilled to drop off her three children at the Aidekman Family Jewish Community Campus in Whippany on Saturday night and head out for a nice dinner with her husband.
While she and her husband, Jerry, enjoyed a “date night” on Dec. 18, teen volunteers and their families kept company with their 17-year-old disabled daughter and her twin seven-year-old siblings, both typical youngsters.
“One of the best parts was that typical kids got to share a special evening with their special siblings,” Lori said.
The program, which attracted 55 families and a total of 120 children, was the newest initiative of the Friendship Circle, a volunteer respite program for families with children who have special needs. A project of Chabad Lubavitch, it began in Michigan in 1994 and was launched locally in 2000.
Parents got a rare night out as they dropped off their children for three hours of swimming, gym activities, a magic show, and arts and crafts. “I was looking at the smiles on all the parents’ faces: ‘Look at us, going out,’” said Lori. “It was amazing.”
