💛 Calling all #BelongingBuilders: A small monthly gift can go even further this week for Circle of Friends! 💛
From May 11–15, our online giving platform, Givebutter, is matching support by contributing an additional $10 donation for every new recurring donor who signs up to give at least $5/month.
That means:
✨ Your $5 monthly gift immediately becomes a $15 donation.
✨ You help provide stable, reliable support for youth with disabilities and their families.
✨ You help us continue expanding access to education, inclusion opportunities, and community programming across Lane County.
Recurring giving may seem small, but consistent support is what helps organizations like ours grow sustainably and plan boldly for the future. So if you’ve been looking for a simple way to support Circle of Friends, this is a beautiful opportunity to make an immediate difference.
Did you know that, throughout the week, students earn “school dollars” through participation, growth, and positive engagement, which they can then use to purchase items and experiences that are meaningful to them. Donations, like a monthly recurring donation of $5.00, help us keep our school store stocked with motivating and joyful items, like the puppy in this picture, giving students opportunities to work toward goals, build confidence, and celebrate success.
Visit the link in our bio to sign up for a monthly gift to Circle of Friends!
Some miles are physical. Some are something more.
Today, Hannah, a member of #TeamBelonging ran the Eugene Marathon in support of Circle of Friends, carrying our kids with them every step of the way. When the race got hard, they didn’t stop. They leaned into purpose.
Here’s what they shared with us:
“Running the @eugenemarathon as a part of #TeamBelonging will forever be one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. In the last several miles, when every part of my body was screaming to stop, I took so much genuine strength and genuine joy thinking about the kiddos at Circle of Friends I was running for. They were my reason and inspiration. I’m so proud to be on their team!!”
This is what community looks like. This is what belonging feels like.
It takes a community to build a world where every child is seen, supported, and celebrated. And today, that community showed up in a powerful way.
Thank you, #TeamBelonging. 🧡
It was an exciting and meaningful day at Circle of Friends.
Our Board of Directors called a dedicated session and brought senior staff together to carry out what they are entrusted to do: set the course for the next 10 years of our organization.
Every voice mattered in that room. This incredible group thoughtfully reviewed and reflected on the feedback shared through our recent Lane County Youth Disability Services Community Survey. They did more than read it. They honored it. They used it to shape a path forward grounded in the real experiences, needs, and hopes of the community we serve.
In the coming weeks, we look forward to sharing more about what’s ahead. Until then, please know that there is a group of people deeply committed to Circle of Friends’ vision of a world where disability is not overlooked but embraced, and they are actively building the path to get us there.
A special thank you to Joelle from @pathway_group for helping guide the early stages of this work. Strategic thinking requires a strong foundation, and Joelle helped create the space for that foundation to take hold.
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🟠 Help us educate more people about the beauty found within disability. Please like, comment, and share to help more people see it.
🤲🏽 If this message resonates with you, there are many ways to support and engage with our student community in whatever way feels meaningful. Learn more, donate, or volunteer by visiting the link in our bio.
💛 #EveryPersonHasValue
🗳️ Calling All #BelongingBuilders, we need your help! Details below.
Some people see a gap and accept it. Circle of Friends' co-founder and lead teacher, Jenn Davis, saw a gap and built something better.
What began as a vision for safe, inclusive education is now a place of true belonging for youth with disabilities who once had few, if any, options. Because of Jenn, children are not only safe, they are seen, supported, and given the opportunity to grow into who they are.
Now we have a chance to show up for her.
Jenn has been nominated for the Season of Appreciation, but the more nominations she receives, the greater her chances of being selected. If chosen, Circle of Friends will receive a $1,000 gift in her honor to continue this work, meeting kids where they are and helping them build the skills, confidence, and voice to shape lives grounded in dignity, connection, and possibility.
It takes less than 20 seconds to nominate her. Join us by nominating her too by visiting the link in our bio.
If you’ve ever believed in what we do, this is a simple and powerful way to show it.
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🟠 Help us educate more people about the beauty found within disability. Please like, comment, and share to help more people see it.
🤲🏽 If this message resonates with you, there are many ways to support and engage with our student community in whatever way feels meaningful. Learn more, donate, or volunteer by visiting the link in our bio.
💛 #EveryPersonHasValue
Something big is coming, and it’s unlike anything we, or anyone else in Lane County, has done before.
Introducing the Inclusion Invitational! ⛳️
It's a virtual charity scramble where inclusion meets innovation, and every swing supports youth with disabilities.
We’re building something special, and we invite you to be part of it from the very beginning. Be the first to know when registration opens, sponsors are announced, and when the Inclusion Invitational comes to life. You’re officially invited to help us reimagine what belonging can look like, together.
Use the link in our bio to join our newsletter and stay in the loop!
Interested in helping to plan or sponsor this one-of-a-kind event? Email our Executive Director, Mike, at [email protected] to chat!
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🟠 Help us educate more people about the beauty found within disability. Please like, comment, and share to help more people see it.
🤲🏽 If this message resonates with you, there are many ways to support and engage with our student community in whatever way feels meaningful. Learn more, donate, or volunteer by visiting the link in our bio.
💛 #EveryPersonHasValue
Our Circle of Belonging is growing, and we need your voice in it.
We’ve already heard from many individuals across Lane County, and their insights are helping shape the future of Circle of Friends. At the same time, we know there are more voices, more lived experiences, and more perspectives that deserve to be part of this conversation.
If you are a parent, caregiver, educator, provider, or community member connected to youth with disabilities, we invite you to take a few minutes to complete our survey. Please find the link to the survey in our bio!
Your input will directly inform how we grow our programs, strengthen supports, and build a more connected and inclusive community.
This is especially important to us. The voices of those closest to this work should guide where we go next.
If you have already completed the survey, thank you. One of the most powerful ways you can help now is by sharing this post so we can reach others across Lane County.
Together, we are building something that reflects all of us.
It was a full and joyful day at Circle of Friends!
We had the opportunity to welcome six different visitors into our space, including local businesses, government partners, foundations, community neighbors, and disability rights advocates. Each conversation brings us one step closer to building a stronger, more inclusive community for the children and families we serve.
And in the middle of it all was Olivia.
She loved seeing so many new faces come through the school, but her excitement grew even bigger when she was reunited with Cottage Grove Mayor Candace Solesbee, who recognized her as a former Little Miss Bohemia Mining Days.
That smile says it all.
Moments like these remind us that belonging is not just something we talk about. It is something we build together, one connection at a time.
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🟠 Help us educate more people about the beauty found within disability. Please like, comment, and share to help more people see it.
🤲🏽 If this message resonates with you, there are many ways to support and engage with our student community in whatever way feels meaningful. Learn more, donate, or volunteer by visiting the link in our bio.
💛 #EveryPersonHasValue
Meet the Team! 🎨
At Circle of Friends, no two people are the same. That is exactly how we like it.
These one-of-a-kind portraits were created by artist Scott Tullock of @northpolepdx . Scott is a storyteller and connection seeker whose work explores the space between the familiar and the profound. Using paint pens on repurposed canvases, he gives new life to overlooked materials and creates art that is both playful and meaningful.
It feels like the perfect reflection of our team.
Each person here brings their own story, perspective, and energy into this community. Different backgrounds. Different strengths. A shared commitment to making sure children with disabilities are supported, celebrated, and truly belong.
To our incredible team, thank you for the compassion, creativity, and care you bring every single day. You inspire us more than you know.
And to Scott, thank you for capturing the heart of this work so beautifully.
We would love for you to get to know the people behind this work. Visit our website to read staff bios and learn more about what we do.
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🟠 Help us educate more people about the beauty found within disability. Please like, comment, and share to help more people see it.
🤲🏽 If this message resonates with you, there are many ways to support and engage with our student community in whatever way feels meaningful. Learn more, donate, or volunteer by visiting the link in our bio.
💛 #EveryPersonHasValue
Rip City runs deep… all the way down to Cottage Grove. ❤️🖤
Today, our students proudly wore red and black as they officially accepted a $10,000 gift from the Portland Trail Blazers. A moment filled with pride, joy, and a whole lot of community spirit.
This investment is more than a check. It’s a belief in the potential of young people with disabilities right here in Lane County. It’s a commitment to inclusion, opportunity, and belonging.
To the Portland @trailblazers , thank you for showing our students that they are seen, valued, and worth investing in.
This is what community looks like. #RipCity
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🟠 Help us educate more people about the beauty found within disability. Please like, comment, and share to help more people see it.
🤲🏽 If this message resonates with you, there are many ways to support and engage with our student community in whatever way feels meaningful. Learn more, donate, or volunteer by visiting the link in our bio.
💛 #EveryPersonHasValue
Because of partners like @pacific_power Foundation, possibility becomes reality.
Their support is helping power the potential of young people with disabilities right here in our community, creating access to education, adaptive equipment, and the kind of care that allows each student to learn, grow, and belong.
We see that impact every day. In classrooms. In moments of connection. In the confidence our students build as they experience the world in their own extraordinary ways.
To Pacific Power Foundation, thank you for helping power what’s possible.
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🟠 Help us educate more people about the beauty found within disability. Please like, comment, and share to help more people see it.
🤲🏽 If this message resonates with you, there are many ways to support and engage with our student community in whatever way feels meaningful. Learn more, donate, or volunteer by visiting the link in our bio.
💛 #EveryPersonHasValue
What an unforgettable day!
Thank you to the Portland @trailblazers for their generous $10,000 gift to Circle of Friends and for hosting our student Steven and his family at today’s game to celebrate!
Seeing Steven and his mom recognized and celebrated alongside peers and families from other schools was incredibly powerful. This is what inclusion looks like.
We are truly honored to be one of many organizations benefiting from their $132,000 donation to the community. An investment like this in youth, especially youth with disabilities, helps move us closer to an Oregon where everyone has the opportunity to belong and thrive.
Grateful doesn’t quite cover it. Thank you, #RipCity. ♥️
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🟠 Help us educate more people about the beauty found within disability. Please like, comment, and share to help more people see it.
🤲🏽 If this message resonates with you, there are many ways to support and engage with our student community in whatever way feels meaningful. Learn more, donate, or volunteer by visiting the link in our bio.
💛 #EveryPersonHasValue
Circle of Friends is growing, and we want our community to help shape what comes next.
As we look toward the future, we are working to better understand how Lane County supports children and youth with disabilities, where the gaps are, and what our community needs most moving forward.
If you live in Lane County, work with youth, support families, or care about building a more inclusive community, we would love to hear from you. Your voice will help guide the next chapter of Circle of Friends and the services we build for the future.
Take the survey here by visiting the link in our bio. Please note that the survey takes about 5–8 minutes and your responses are anonymous.
Thank you for helping us build a community where every child belongs.
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🟠 Help us educate more people about the beauty found within disability. Please like, comment, and share to help more people see it.
🤲🏽 If this message resonates with you, there are many ways to support and engage with our student community in whatever way feels meaningful. Learn more, donate, or volunteer by visiting the link in our bio.
💛 #EveryPersonHasValue
