A corner of inspiration, imagination, and idealism

Sunny, clear blue skies, droplets of pool water spraying in the air, licks from a sticky raspberry ice pop — can’t you feel that delicious taste of summer? And let’s not forget to mention those fun-filled days in camp, from early morning swims to late night DMCs!

There are some teens out there who face unique challenges that prevent them from just chilling out and forgetting about it all over the summer months. For a teen with a special-needs sibling, vacation time might just mean more time with that sibling home (unless they’re going to one of the amazing camps that are catered for them). That often means these teens have additional responsibilities during these long, hot days.

These young adults often have a sense of maturity and sensitivity way above the average teen, yet it’s still not easy dealing with the many challenging scenarios that may arise, along with the emotions involved. Most teens enjoy sharing their problems and coming to solutions together, but where do these teens turn to? To a fellow teen? How can she relate to such unique challenges that she may not be privy to?

Enter — Sisters Corner!

Elisheva M., a high school student from Detroit, is also a sibling to a younger brother with special needs. He’s a sweet boy yet delayed in many areas, and displays many behaviors that are similar to autism. His cheerful and friendly demeanor definitely win people over, but his behavior is quite a handful. Elisheva always felt that there must be others who face similar situations and could use support. “That became the seed that would eventually grow into Sisters Corner, a place for siblings of kids with special needs to unite and encourage each other,” explains Elisheva.

Elisheva has a good friend who also has a sibling with special needs. She also thought it was a good idea to do something to benefit other teens in similar situations, and she played a vital part in getting Sisters Corner off the ground.

During corona lockdown, when everybody was home — including those special sibs — Elisheva and her friend realized that they had to actualize their dream, pronto. “We tossed around different ideas,” says Elisheva, “but nothing very practical emerged until a few months later, when I finally came up with the idea of creating a hotline and newsletter for this very special population of teens.” Her friend agreed that this was a fantastic idea and helped Elisheva plan, brainstorm, advertise, and get it off the ground.

In the beginning there was a small group of participants, yet it quickly blossomed into a group of about 150 participants from around the world, including America, Canada, Eretz Yisrael, and England, and many more locations.

This phone hotline offers a rich menu of options geared to inspire, encourage, and give chizuk to the listeners.