During a time of conflict, Francie Bishop Good found an opportunity for her love of the arts to inspire and lift up people with special needs.
Francie was walking down Las Olas Boulevard, near the Las Olas Chabad Jewish Center, and saw demonstrators facing off over the conflict between Israel and Palestine. When she went into Chabad to show her support, she asked about The Friendship Circle.
The Friendship Circle is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people with special needs and their families. To foster inclusion and open doors to new opportunities, The Friendship Circle’s volunteers help people with special needs go on outings and participate in events where they can build new community connections. These fun, engaging experiences include cooking classes, get-togethers for teens, arts and crafts, and more.
Francie had learned about volunteer opportunities at The Friendship Circle from a family member who attended services at Chabad. Francie, a professional artist and dedicated philanthropist who champions the arts, saw this as an opportunity to share her time and talents to make a difference. She volunteered to teach an art class, helping The Friendship Circle participants mold clay into pots to be fired in Francie’s kiln. Next, the budding artists will have the chance to paint their pots and experience more hands-on learning.
This is just one of the ways that Francie uses the power of the arts to give back to the community she loves. In 2019, she and her husband, David Horvitz, established an endowed charitable fund at the Community Foundation of Broward so they could lock in ongoing support for artists and arts organizations in our community. With the Community Foundation as their philanthropy partner, their endowed support will always be there to help people in Broward experience the power of the arts – today and for generations to come.
Click here to watch a short video of Francie Bishop Good leading The Friendship Circle arts class.
Contact the Community Foundation of Broward at info@cfbroward.org or 954-761-9503.
