Ongoing Opportunity
The John Carroll School Friends 2 Friends Club are a group of students who gather once or twice a month for activities with developmentally disabled adults from Gallagher Services (a service of Catholic Charities) to develop lasting relationships and awareness of special needs issues.
Last, Friday, September 21st, the Friends to Friends Club hosted an event here on campus called the Pizza, Pumpkins, and Patriots! A pizza dinner was followed by games and painting pumpkins in the Brown Room before heading out to cheer the Patriot football team onto victory on the Gerry Gray field. To check out a video from the event click here: Friends 2 Friends
After the event, Mr. Hollin and student Ashley Beyer received the following letter from Kathleen Roberts, Spiritual Development Coordinator of Gallagher Services:
Words cannot express the gratitude that I would like to extend to you and the students for the magnificent Friend to Friend event on Friday night! The individuals were so blessed by the warm welcome that they received, the festive atmosphere, pizza, drinks, homemade cookies, and the attention and assistance of the students during the pumpkin project! Then to top it off, the excitement of seeing the game and sitting with their new friends! I was so touched by the sensitivity and kindness of the students. At one point I saw two boys holding the hands of one of our guys, and walking him down the steps so he could have a front row seat. Gallagher’s mission is to open doors to a fuller life for people with developmental disabilities. The Friend to Friend Program is playing a major role in the fulfillment of this mission by welcoming and involving the individuals in the John Carroll Community. What you are doing is changing lives in a significant way.
Coming up in the next two months, the Friends 2 Friends Club will be hosting events such as a Corn Maze, a Trunk or Treat, and attending the annual Fall Drama here at John Carroll. Any student interested in joining the Friends 2 Friends Club can contact Ashley Beyers or Mr. Hollin.