By Tanya Buresh-Werby, Program Director
Friendship Circle of Virginia is grateful to the entire Richmond community, our campaign Matchers, our Team Captains, and our board members for being ambassadors of friendship by actively participating in helping us raise much needed funds through our recent annual Charidy fundraiser.
At Friendship Circle we believe that every person is valuable, important, and has a unique light to share with the world and people around them.
With this concept at our core, Friendship Circle has enriched our community by providing children and teens with disabilities in Richmond with friendship and belonging by pairing them with community Teen Friends where the two share fun and love, building a friendship that deeply enriches both their lives.
Furthermore, every Friendship Circle event brings people together in a spirit of friendship and inclusivity. At our events, our Teen friends get to engage in the very same activities as their friends with disabilities.
Since the pandemic, it has become painfully clear to all of us that Friendship is not a luxury or something ‘fun to do’ when we have time. It is a vital necessity for each of us.
‘Socially distant’ is often the unintended result of non-intentional inclusion in our communities.
For over a decade, Friendship Circle has been creating intentional connections amongst children and young adults with disabilities together with Teen Friends in our community. These relationships have grown exponentially throughout the pandemic as the importance for friendship and belonging has been spotlighted front-and-center for teens, for kids, and for adults.
As the need for friendship has increased, so have our financial needs. Each monthly FCVA event has doubled in size from only a few years ago.
Our staff is growing to ensure that each family, child, and teen gets the attention and time they deserve.
To continue to offer free programming for all our families and Teens, our Charidy Fundraiser has been the single most powerful tool to raise the crucial funds we need to continue this work in our community.
We never charge our members for these critical services, because we understand that friendship is priceless.
Children with disabilities and their families often have to prioritize where and how they spend their money and time based on medical and therapeutic interventions.
Having fun and participating in a monthly exciting new activity is often not at the top of the list. Some deem those activities ‘non-essential,’ however, we have learned that friendship and social experiences for our kids with disabilities, their family members, and our teens may be the most essential thing of all.
The support you have given us will help us continue our mission of building an inclusive community, one friendship at a time. Your donations will help keep friendship thriving in the heart of Richmond and enable our youth to continue to SHARE THEIR LIGHT!
To learn more about Friendship Circle of Virginia, please visit our website at
