L-R United States Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) with Freida Hecht; founder and director of the Circle of Friends at the gala evening of Recognition Dinner held at Beth Israel of Westport/Norwalk, Sunday, June 5th more than three hundred attended.

The Circle of Friends, CT, hosted an Evening of Recognition Dinner; Sunday June 5, 2011 to honor more than 100 teen and adult volunteers.

With a heartfelt keynote address that had the crowd mesmerized and rising in applause Rebetzin Freida Hecht director and founder of the Circle of Friends, inspired the crowd of three hundred, 100 of them volunteers, to continue their vital work on behalf of children with special needs. Quoting the Lubavitcher Rebbe she said “We need to see the inner souls of these children, for these special souls are a gift to the world.”

Mrs. Hecht who is the driving force of the program spoke of the importance of mainstreaming these children and their families into the Jewish community. The program allows the teen volunteers to grow as individuals as they volunteer to be friends to the children with special needs. The teens offer the gift of friendship to a child or young teen that may have never experienced it otherwise.

United States Senator Richard Blumenthal in attendance, presented the teen volunteers with U.S. Senatorial Citations of Merit recognizing their service. Speaking at the event, he encouraged the teens to continue to lead by personal example “Show your friends that it’s cool to help others through public service.”

In addition, The Circle of Friends presented 16 high school seniors attending Westport Staples, Weston High High School and Norwalk High School with Fellowship Awards for their combined 5,000 volunteer “Friendship Hours”.

The event was attended by over 300 people and was held at Beth Israel of Westport/Norwalk, 40 King Street in Norwalk, CT.

The Circle of Friends is an all volunteer organization which reaches out to families with children with special needs and involves them in a full spectrum of social programs and weekly home visitations and play dates. The Teen volunteers come from the communities of Westport, Weston, Wilton, Norwalk & Fairfield, Connecticut.

Concluding its seventh year under the auspices of Beth Israel of Westport/Norwalk & co-sponsored in part by The Schneerson Center for Jewish Life CT, Inc.  The teen volunteers and their adult supervisors are currently involved with over 100 families in the area.

For more information on The Circle of Friends and it’s programs, please call Freida Hecht, Director at 203-293-8837. Or email circlefriendsct@gmailcom.www.circleoffriendsct.org. 40 King Street Norwalk, CT 06851.

L-R Chanie and Rabbi Levi Stone of the Schneerson Center for Jewish Life, CT, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Rabbi Yehoshua Hecht, Spiritual leader of Beth Israel of Westport/Norwalk and Freida Hecht, director of the Circle of Friends

Group Picture of Teen volunteers, in the center is Circle of Friends founder and director Freida Hecht