Every morning I wake up, take a shower, get dressed, and drive myself to school. I know opposites, my left and right, the alphabet, and simple addition. Sounds easy right? Wrong. For some people in this world these are hurdles they are unable to climb over. Whether they need a little push or they need to be picked up, we need to reach out and help them.

As a Jew and as a fellow human being, it is critical that we all help one another succeed in this world. There is a statement in the Torah that says “saving a life is like saving the entire world.” I believe that although I cannot correct all wrongs and change the world with the stroke of my hand, the least I can do is help one child. Whether they just need help with their homework or just want a friend, I would like to be there for them.

I chose to volunteer for Friendship Circle because my friend Hannah has been doing this for a while in Philadelphia and I was always envious of the opportunity she had. Over the summers, at camp, she would relay various stories and anecdotes about her experiences in this program. I would see her writing to her 'special' friend and I remember wishing I had such an opportunity. The most amazing part of this program is that Hannah, and now I, walk out of our 'special' friend's home not only feeling that we helped someone but with something we never thought: We leave with a new friendship.

In our camp cabin, Hannah had pictures of her buddy posted on her wall by her bed. He was not just someone she had to visit once a week or once a month, he was someone she looked forward to spending time with because the two benefited equally from one another.

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