REP LIEU CELEBRATES $1 MILLION HE SECURED TO HELP STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
LOS ANGELES - Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) presented a $1 million ceremonial check to the Friendship Foundation to expand social friendship clubs at K-12 schools, where students with special needs are paired with student volunteers to promote friendship, inclusivity and acceptance among young individuals. Congressman Lieu requested and secured $1,000,000 for the Foundation in the Fiscal Year 2023 government spending package. The funding will help the Friendship Foundation expand its programs within schools across California's 36th Congressional District.
Congressman Lieu issued the following statement after visiting the site of the first Friendship Club at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, meeting students involved in the program, and presenting the $1 million check. Congressman Lieu was joined by local elected officials, Friendship Foundation leaders, and Mira Costa High educators during the visit.
"I'm inspired by the work the Friendship Foundation and its volunteers do to ensure students with special needs feel heard, accepted, and welcomed," said Congressman Lieu. "Through the Friendship Club program, students with special needs are buddied up with student volunteers to eat lunch, socialize, attend school events together, and more. As a result, students in special education forge real and lasting friendships and experience less bullying, fostering a healthier and happier school environment for them to learn and grow alongside their peers. I'm proud of what the Friendship Foundation has done for young people in the South Bay community and am honored to have secured this funding to help them further their mission."
"What started 16 years ago as a single Friendship Club bringing together neurodivergent and typical peers has expanded to 52 clubs today throughout Los Angeles and beyond," said Yossi Mintz, Friendship Foundation Co-Founder. "We're incredibly grateful for Congressman Lieu's support and this funding will go a long way to fund more clubs in the 36th Congressional District. The Friendship Clubs were the seeds planted that have now grown into a state-of-the-art 3.25-acre education and vocational Friendship Campus being constructed to help each and every person find a passion, learn practical job skills, and integrate in the greater community."
More on the Friendship Foundation's Inclusive Friendship Clubs:
The goal of this project is to create at least 22 new school clubs that will impact an estimated 1,900 students with special needs. One of these programs is the Inclusive School Friendship Club, which is in operation in 33 high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools throughout the greater South Bay. At each club, children with special needs are paired with student volunteers on a 1-to-1 basis to eat lunch, socialize, play games, and attend school events as a group. As a result of the Inclusive School Friendship Club, students in special education are seen and acknowledged, develop new friendships, experience less bullying and other abusive actions. Overall, students and the school body as whole become more aware of, and able to integrate, special education students, which is vital to their happiness and safety on school campuses.
More on Congressman Lieu's work securing Community Project Funding:
Each year, Congress is responsible for allocating overall funding for offices, programs, and grants administered by the federal government. As a Member of Congress, Representative Lieu has the opportunity to advocate for programs that are beneficial to California's 36th Congressional District and the constituents he represents.
In Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023, Congressman Lieu secured a total of over $33 million in federal funding for various community projects in LA County. The projects address an array of pressing needs in California's 36th District – from reducing homelessness to protecting our endangered wildlife, supporting our young populations, and more.
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