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breathe."

"Friends" is an organization designed to provide services to children and young adults with a huge range of moderate to extreme physical and mental disabilities. Besides the medical, legal and financial help it provides, every month or so the volunteers, boys and girls from approximately the ages of 17-24, organize a Shabbat weekend for a group from "Friends" in a community. For two years Ahuva has been waiting her turn to have such a weekend in Karnei Shomron. She wanted to do it for these children she has grown to love. What she didn't realize was what she would be giving the people of Karnei Shomron

For weeks she and a fellow volunteer from the neighborhood were busy with the logistics. The first step was finding host homes. She sent out an e-mail to our internal neighborhood list, asking people to open their hearts and homes. She explained that each child would arrive with his or her own counselor, who would be responsible for caring for his needs the whole weekend. People responded eagerly, only concerned about their homes not being wheelchair accessible, having too many steps, narrow doorways. Ahuva reassured people that any willing house was an appropriate house the important part was the desire to do good. She didn't want them to make their homes handicapped accessible. She just wanted them to make themselves open to the experience. She promised that she would match up just the right guest for their houses. As registration proceeded she sat and paired the children with walkers, wheelchairs, ability to walk, make conversation, sit still, etc. with just the right hosts.

Since the children were not asked to cover the costs of the weekend Ahuva asked the people of our neighborhood if they would like to donate money to the cause. Some gave $25, some $50, and two people asked her to let them know how much was needed and they'd cover it! Such righteous people! A woman who read the e-mail, whose husband owns a paper goods store in our neighborhood, wrote back that Ahuva should send a list of the supplies needed and she'll have a carton ready. Ahuva went and was touched to see a carton full of hundreds of plates, cups, flatware, serving dishes, napkins and tablecloths. An acquaintance of one of the "Friends" children is a caterer and offered to send the whole Friday night meal of breaded chicken cutlets, potatoes, and rice. Both local mini markets donated enough popsicles for the whole crowd to enjoy and the supermarket and bakery donated some of the

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