Friendship Circle Michigan Using Athletic Programs to Help People with Special Needs

Southfield (CW50) - Friendship Circle Michigan is well known for their Dakota Bread Company, Soul Center and Soul Cafe. Three businesses where they hire, train, and support people with special needs as they complete tasks and jobs that help them find confidence, purpose, and routine in their every day lives.

While on the job they develop and build strategies that allow them to be successful in the workplace, including social skills, work-related anxiety, planning and organizational skills, and functional job skills. After graduating the program, the trainees can take these skills into other jobs.

Soul Studio is where the members of Friendship Circle create art and take a leading role in promoting and selling their own work in the community. The other side of the business is the Soul Cafe, where trainees are provided with similar training to Dakota Bread Company, and are taught the necessary skills to be employed in the food industry.

Another aspect to Friendship Circle is their athletics programs. The nonprofit offers a variety of clinics, including basketball, floor hockey, and soccer. They also offer open gym and other stimulating athletic programs for young children.

Bassie Shemtov, Director & Co-Founder of Friendship Circle, joins Lisa Germani on Community Connect to discuss how the nonprofit has grown in the last year and its various athletic programs offered to people with special needs.

Learn more at FriendshipCircle.org

Watch Community Connect, Saturday at 7am on CW50.