New Jersey LifeTown Breaks New Ground for Special-Needs Community
For children with special needs and their families, the simplest things can be indescribably challenging: visiting the dentist, getting a haircut, making a friend. To help those families and individuals in and around Essex County, N.J., a transformational new facility called LifeTown is on the way.
The 47,000-square-foot, two-story LifeTown facility comes under the auspices of Friendship Circle, a Chabad-Lubavitch-sponsored organization that provides a variety of respite, social and recreational programs for children and teens with special needs and their families. At the core of Friendship Circle’s programs are the hundreds of teen volunteers who spend time playing with and getting to know those with special needs. LifeTown will provide an inclusive setting for Friendship Circle programs, as well as offer a multitude of services, opportunities and activities for people of all ages and abilities.
The community celebrated its groundbreaking on Monday evening with 800 people gathering as Friendship Circle families laid the cornerstone of the new center. The event was marked with activities for families, speeches and the chance to help pour cement for the new building.
