Circle of Friends Ministry

The Circle of Friends Ministry, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, which provides enhancement to the lives of adults with physical and/or developmental disabilities in Lake Wales, Florida. We offer social, educational, and cultural activities for individuals with special needs and respite care to caregivers.

The organization was built from a mother’s need to have her special child accepted and included within the community. She started Circle of Friends Ministry with a Sunday school class for two special needs children. Working out of her home office for five years, the ministry steadily grew, becoming a non-profit organization in December, 1999. In September of 2001, Circle rented an office space from the Lake Wales Care Center where it continued to grow. One year later, Circle of Friends Ministry, Inc. began renovating the historical downtown theater building on Stuart Avenue in Lake Wales, which became their permanent home on December 23, 2003.