Teen helps foster specialneeds friendships
A Montgomery County teen will throw a Halloween party this month that will be the first of many events designed to foster friendships for special-needs teens and young adults.
The Oct. 16 event at Parc Bistro, 4067 Parc Bistro in Skippack, will launch the newest chapter of Fantastic Friends, whose mission is “to create celebration and meaningful friendships for young adults and teens with special needs through monthly events.”
“I want everyone to get to know each other, so we can become the most fantastic friends,” said Gabby Durand, 17.
There will be pumpkin painting, games, and more. The event, which runs from 2-4 p.m., will start with an icebreaker.
Fantastic Friends was created by Marissa Hacker of New Jersey as a way for her autistic twin brother to make friends. She was 15 when she started the group; now, more than five years later, Fantastic Friends includes chapters in New Jersey, Maryland, New York, California and Oregon.
“We continue to expand nationally,” Hacker said. “It’s a home away from home where you can be accepted for who you are.”
That concept appealed to Durand, a senior at Pope John Paul II High School who saw Hacker on NBC 10 discussing the group’s prom. Fantastic Friends holds a prom every year for its members and volunteers, and for that prom they in- Two participants are shown during a Fantastic Friends event.
vited singer BrunoMars.
“(Hacker) explained that she wanted to expand Fantastic Friends to new places,” Durand said. “Volunteering at two programs for individuals with special needs, I saw it as an opportunity that could not be passed up. I have always loved volunteering, but I wanted to take it to the next level and have an even larger impact in the community.”
Durand’smomcontacted Hacker. In August, Durand received the go-ahead, and “since then, I have been working non-stop to make this a reality. Fantastic Friends has taken over my life in the best way possible.”
“Gabby is amazing,” Hacker said. “She definitely is a leader.”
The Fantastic Friends of Suburban Philadelphia chapter will hold themed events over the next couple months. The Halloween party at Parc Bistro will be for 30 people — 15 special needs individuals and 15 volunteers — but Durand hopes the numbers will grow as more people learn about the group.
“I want everyone to become a Fantastic Friend!” Durand said.
To sign up as either a member or a volunteer, send an email to fantasticfriendssbphilly@gmail. com