Best Buddies organization
With steady membership and community support, the Best Buddies organization on campus is continuing its tradition of making friends and hosting activities.
Best Buddies is an international, nonprofit organization which matches students with physical or mental disabilities to mainstream students. Their main mission is to create one-to-one friendships and enhance the lives of others by providing opportunities for friendship and integrated employment.
Best Buddies International states, “Best Buddies envisions a world where people with intellectual disabilities are so successfully integrated into our schools, our workplaces and our general communities that our current efforts and services will be unnecessary. Until that vision becomes a reality, we will continue to educate middle school, high school and college students, community members, corporations, and employers about the emotional, functional and natural needs and abilities of people with intellectual disabilities.”
Best Buddies is one of the largest volunteer organizations in the world. According to Best Buddies International, this program alone impacts more than 350,000 people and includes chapters spread throughout high schools and universities around the globe. Utah alone has four universities and 12 high schools involved with the program.
“Best Buddies is unique in the way that it gets people involved in service. It allows them to help out in the community,” said John Parrish, college buddy director for the Utah State chapter.
Nicole Tatom, Best Buddies program manager for the state of Utah, said, “By being a part of Best Buddies, you are not only serving your buddy, but you are also serving yourself.”
According to Best Buddies International, Best Buddies was founded in 1989 by Anthony Shriver. Shriver felt inspired to raise awareness between mainstream students and those with disabilities. He collaborated with his college peers and created Best Buddies at Georgetown University and has been dedicated to the program ever since.
College students who volunteer are called college buddies. These students are paired with a mentally or physically disabled students to be the kind of friend that most of the buddies do not have.
“This is a big deal for the buddies,” Parrish said. “Some of our buddies will even wear their best buddies t-shirts every day. For some, their buddies are some of their only friends.”
If willing to be a college buddy, that individual makes a commitment to contact their buddy on a weekly basis. This contact can include anything from a phone call, e-mail or note. They also agree to plan one individual activity each month for their buddy and themselves, attend chapter meetings and participate in chapter activities held once a month.
“It’s crazy how much you can actually learn from being with your buddy,” Parish said. “They really can teach you a lot.”
Tatom said, “You learn compassion, understanding, responsibility, and it even helps to broaden your aspect on life. You also get to interact with others you probably wouldn’t have.”
Utah State’s chapter is the second largest chapter in the state of Utah. Last year, it had up to 60 buddy matches. This year will be very similar, Tatom said.
“Currently we are in the process of making our matches for the chapter, but we are estimating that we will have between 50 to 60 matches for this school year,” she said.
Other students willing to be involved are called associate members. These members are there to help participate in chapter activities and meetings and also can be involved when taking buddies out on their one-on-one activities.
“This is one of the few programs on campus that is very well-rounded. You can come and definitely make a difference,” Parrish said.
Best Buddies activities range from a Valentine’s dance to a talent show where each of the buddies displays their skills. One activity that separates Utah State’s chapter from the others is the annual Halloween costume party thrown by Sigma Nu.
“By getting involved with Best Buddies, you will meet someone you would not have met anywhere else,” Tatom said. “There is something for everyone.”
Shriver, along with many others at Best Buddies International, said he hopes by the year 2010, Best Buddies will be active in all 50 states and expand to over 50 countries. It also has set goals to reach more than 500,000 people around the world, he said.
“This program targets those people who want to serve,” Parrish said. “This organization is designed for those individuals who want to go out and make some type of difference.”
Tatom said, “Best Buddies is not only to just be a friend, but it is also to make a friend.”
For more information on Best Buddies or for applications to join, contact the Service Center on the third floor of the Taggart Student Center or contact John Parrish at the Service Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 to 10:15 a.m.
-courtnie.packer@aggiemail.usu.edu