Today, ABA Centers of Florida was awarded the “Community Inclusion Partner Award” by the Friendship Circle of Greater Fort Lauderdale, a local outpost of the national organization dedicated to supporting individuals with special needs through friendship, inclusion, and community-based programs.
The award was presented at the Friendship Circle of Greater Fort Lauderdale’s Business Ambassador Luncheon and recognizes ABA Centers for its unwavering commitment to creating inclusive spaces where neurodiverse individuals feel valued, empowered, and supported.
“We are deeply honored to receive the Community Inclusion Partner Award,” said Jason Barker, CEO of ABA Centers. “At the heart of everything we do is a belief that every individual deserves to feel seen, safe, and celebrated. The Friendship Circle of Greater Fort Lauderdale’s mission aligns so closely with our own, and together we’ve built a model of what inclusive partnership can look like.”
Several years ago, students of the Friendship Circle of Greater Fort Lauderdale’s Life Skills program took a trip to the corporate headquarters of ABA Centers, located in downtown Fort Lauderdale, and were provided with a behind-the-scenes tour. As a result of that trip, ABA Centers became the first business that hired a student with special needs from this program. That student has now been employed by ABA Centers for more than two years.
“We know that our student was able to acquire her position with ABA Centers thanks to the tools we provided her in our program, but she continues to succeed due to the fantastic, supportive, and inclusive environment that ABA Centers has surrounded her with,” remarked Nechama Gutman, Outreach Director of the Friendship Circle of Greater Fort Lauderdale. “We thank ABA Centers for being a business in our community that provides adults with disabilities a fair chance in the workforce and allows them to prove themselves.”
About the Friendship Circle of Greater Fort Lauderdale
Friendship Circle of Greater Fort Lauderdale is an organization that surrounds children, teens, and adults with disabilities in our community with friendship and fun in a positive, growth-promoting environment. Whether it is learning new skills in the Life Skills and Job Training Program, having an afternoon of fun through their unique social programs, Friendship Circle of Greater Fort Lauderdale creates a community of inclusion through the families, volunteers, and businesses in the community. The organization also operates The Friendship Grill, its on-site training restaurant on Las Olas Blvd., where it happily serves delicious meals Sunday-Friday. Anyone with disabilities who could benefit from a friend or those looking for volunteer opportunities can find more information at www.friendshipfl.org.
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