The Charlotte Jewish News - June-July 2014 - Page 19
Friendship Circle
Launching Thrift
Boutique and Young Adult
Employment Center
Our community is in need of
programs that address the needs
of young adults with autism and
other special needs. Too many of
these young people graduate high
school without the skills required
to continue their education or get
and hold a job. While many of
these individuals have unique tal
ents, the majority of jobs avail
able to them are janitorial
positions and grocery bagging.
Left with few alternatives these
individuals spend most of their
time at home or in programs that
are little more than babysitting.
According to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, in 2013, 69% of
typical young adults ages 16-35,
were pursuing a college career
and/or held a job in an interest-
based field. In contrast, 74.3% of
young adults with special needs
were living at home and were un
employed or had stopped looking
for work. Based on research done
by the Mecklenburg Disability
Action Collaborative there are
currently 50,000 adults with spe
cial needs in Mecklenburg
County. Their unemployment rate
is over 80%.
ZABS Place is an eclectic re
sale shop & employment training
center for young adults with spe
cial needs run by the Friendship
Hebrew High - It’s Not Your
Father’s Religious School
Circle of Charlotte. We aim to
create a customer-centric atmos
phere with a diverse assortment
of quality resale merchandise and
one-of-a-kind creations, made by
local young adults with special
needs, all with thrift shop prices.
Our product lines will include:
clothing, furniture, books, and
home decor. Through careful lo
cation selection we will open in
an area with easy access to public
transportation and heavy foot traf
fic. Our store layout will be both
handicap-accessible and visually
warm and inviting to create an en
vironment that encourages cus
tomers to look around and
explore.
We’re located at 3814 Monroe
Road near Wendover. Come
check us out.
For more information call
704-366-5983 or visit ZAB-
SPlace.org. ^
zabs place
Every Wednesday, at Shalom
Park, Jewish teens are busily en
gaging in all sorts of Jewish learn
ing. Some are studying from the
ancient texts, some are listening to
and translating Israeli rock music,
some are creating culinary mas
terpieces, and some are learning
how to make ethical Jewish deci
sions. There is something for
every student and every learning
style at Charlotte’s Hebrew High.
We are beginning our third
year of “Hebrew for Credit.” Due
to a generous Impact Grant from
the Jewish Federation of Greater
Charlotte and an agreement
with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
School district, Hebrew High stu
dents are learning conversational
Hebrew and receiving language
credit in their secular schools. The
class was developed to help our
young people deepen their con
nection to the worldwide Jewish
community through our common
language.
At Hebrew High, we are al
ways developing new curricula to
stimulate teens’ minds, get their
creative juices flowing and
strengthen their Jewish identity.
We create the Jewish leaders of
tomorrow, right here at Shalom
Park every Wednesday evening.
Don’t let your child be left out.
For more information call Roz
at 704-94-6782 or email
rcooperl33@aol.com. Or check
us out at www.Hebrew
High.org. ^
Hebrew High students
make hamentaschen for
Purim.
Matthew Rabinowitz is psyched to make hamentascjen with his
Hebrew high friends.
Registration form for next year’s
Hebrew High is on page 27.
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To aek redciy, jps helps me:
* strengthen fingers with beads
* problem solve with puzzles
* Memorize songs, and
* Care for my friends'.
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