Flourishing in Livingston, New Jersey, LifeTown is a non-profit community center with educational and recreational activities for children and people with special needs to learn in an environment that is adaptable to their needs.
In 2018, the 53,000 square foot complex opened its doors to the public as a project of Friendship Circle New Jersey, founded in 2000 by Rabbi Zalman and Toba Leah Grossbaum. The pair took inspiration from a similar facility in Michigan, where a simulated downtown area could offer opportunities for learning and development.
The Friendship Circle New Jersey connects special needs individuals to caregivers to foster friendship, build community and help the individual gain the confidence to try new experiences.
The complex has an impressively realistic town square that hosts shops, a park and a mock road with crosswalks and traffic lights. Every detail was thoughtfully curated, including a movie theater, hobby shop, grocery store, clothing store, salon, laundromat, garden and a medical center. Kids and adults are encouraged to play in the town, filling the roles of customer and worker.
“Just like everyone, neurodiverse individuals want their work to make a difference,” Grossbaum said, “When they join the workforce, they bring both a new perspective and their desire to be a productive member of society.”
Staff members and volunteers monitor the areas to interact and play with the children, while also practicing the core values of the complex. Through this, children and adults can develop problem-solving skills, budgeting, time management, safety and communication. The therapeutic activity hosts expert-led sessions to hone in on skills and provide support based on individual needs.
Even more so, the complex has various other centers for other types of activities and therapies. The aquatic center offers lessons to help people with coordination, breath control and independence.
The gymnasium is open for more organized play as well as game nights, voyage sessions and various family programs. The youth center, parents’ lounge, and volunteer lounge prioritize mental health for everyone, giving people the opportunity for a breather.
One of the most unique qualities is the influx of volunteers and how easy it is for community members to get involved. The center emphasizes community, having had thousands of volunteers dedicate their time. To sign up, volunteers just have to visit their website and submit an online application.
The facility is driven to make everyone feel empowered and capable to learn and thrive in a world that can feel inaccessible to so many. The result is an epicenter of growth, compassion and progress.
“LifeTown is not about therapy. LifeTown is about life,” Rabbi Zalman said.
