The Friendship Circle model involves carefully matching teen volunteers one-to-one with children who have special needs, providing the mentoring and friendship that these children seek.

Our model promotes inclusion and builds social and recreational skills among children, teens, and young adults with special needs, regardless of their level of ability.  Beginning with a pilot program and handful of children in 2004, we have served hundreds of children with special needs and empowered thousands of teenagers to become community leaders, advocates, and role-models. 

The facility we currently operate our 21 programs out of has become insufficient to manage our tremendous growth and lacks the necessary space to introduce new, innovative services we aspire to offer and that families seek. 

Under the leadership and direction of our Board of Directors, we are planning to build a 20,000 sq ft state-of-the-art campus where individuals with special needs will shine: The Friendship Campus. This new campus will be Miami's first community center for individuals with special needs, and it will house everything for our special participants, their families, and our teen volunteers, all in one place.

The most powerful force in society is a child with a dream coupled with the knowledge, nurturing and means to achieve that dream. The Friendship Campus IS a lifelong dream for children with special needs and their families. We hope you will help us make this dream a reality by joining us to meet our $7.5 million goal to develop a beautiful state-of-the-art home for our children, for now, and for the future.

Click here to learn more about our programs.

Friendship Circle of Miami, Inc
2020/21 Board of Directors

  • David Evensky, RMA

    Board Chair Principal
    Evensky & Katz/Foldes Financial

  • Tracey Berkowitz

    Board Secretary Trustee
    Fairholme Foundation

  • Paul Kaplan

    Board Treasurer Co-Founder
    KW Property Management

  • Dr. Diane Adreon

    Associate Director
    UM-NSU CARD

  • Rossana Arteaga-Gomez

    AXS Law Group

  • Judge Stanford Blake

    Former Judge, 11th Judicial Circuit

    Principal, Stanford Blake Mediation

  • Stacy Bolduc

    Family Member/Volunteer

  • Monica Cantera-Serralta

    Pan American Companies

  • Joel Zev Drizin

    Entrepreneur

  • Libby Herrera-Navarette

    Phillips, Richard and Rind, P.A.

  • Robert Josefsberg

    Partner

    Podhurst Orseck P.A.

  • Michele Kaplan

    President & Co-Founder

    Families for Fragile X

  • Alex Krys

    Managing Member

    Juniper Capital Partners, LLP

  • Barry Lapides

    Partner/Shareholder

    Berger Singerman, LLP

  • Jason Margulies

    Partner

    Lipcon, Margulies, Alsin & Winkleman, P.A.

  • Claudia Potamkin

    Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Volunteer

  • Commissioner Raquel Regalado

    Miami-Dade County Commissioner, District 7

  • Dr. Trevor Resnick, M.D.

    Former Chief, Department of Neurology,

    Nicklaus Children’s Hospital

    Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology,

    University of Miami School of Medicine

  • Joe Roisman

    Executive Vice President

    Perry Ellis International

  • Todd Ruderman

    Tarco Properties, LLC & Value Store It Mgmt

  • Jason Shapiro

    Managing Director, Aztec Group, Inc.

  • DeWayne Terry

    Partner

    Rubenstein Law

  • Ex-Officio Members

    Rabbi Yossef Harlig

    Executive Director

  • Nechama Harlig

    Co-Director