History

Making A Difference

Best Buddies is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with mental retardation by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment.  Founded in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver, Best Buddies has grown from one chapter on one college campus to a vibrant, international organization involving 20,000 participants this year on more than 500 high school and college campuses in the United States, Canada, Egypt and Greece.

Even though Best Buddies has grown tremendously in its short existence, most of the country still lacks programs to help people with mental retardation become a part of mainstream society.  Our goal is to being Best Buddies to every corner of the United States in the next ten years.  Best Buddies programs need to be active on every high school and college campus nationwide.

There are more than 7.5 million people with mental retardation in the United States and 250 million worldwide.  Paired with the 14 million college students in the US and the 77 million college students worldwide, we can make a huge difference in the lives of so many.  The challenge is astounding, but with the power of volunteers and the generosity of out donors, it is attainable.

Vision

Best Buddies envisions a world where people with disabilities are so successfully integrated into our schools, our workplaces, and our communities that our services will be unnecessary.  Until that day, our vision is to educate high school and college students, corporate and community citizens, and employers about the needs and abilities of people with mental retardation.

History of Service

Best Buddies began in 1987, when Founder Anthony K. Shriver realized the lack of opportunity people with mental retardation had to socialize with non-disabled peers.  As a college student, Mr. Shriver also knew that students had the energy and commitment to positively transform their communities.  His inspiration to bring both groups together created Best Buddies.

Since its founding in 1989, Best Buddies has impacted the lives of 115,000 volunteers and people with mental retardation in hundreds of communities across the United States, in Canada, Egypt and greece.  Today, Best Buddies offers five programs:  Best Buddies High Schools, Best Buddies Colleges, Best Buddies Citizens, Best Buddies Jobs, and our newest program, e-Buddies^SM.

Best Buddies Programs

BEST BUDDIES HIGH SCHOOLS Best Buddies High Schools pairs students with mental retardation in one-to-one friendships with high school students. In today's high schools, students with mental retardation often enter the same building and walk the same hallways as their peers, but they are left out of social activities. By introducing Best Buddies into public and private high schools, we are crossing the invisible line that too often separates those with disabilities from those without. Today, 86 high schools in eight states host a Best Buddies High Schools chapter.

BEST BUDDIES COLLEGES Best Buddies Colleges pairs people with mental retardation in one-to-one friendships with college students. Without friends and family we are alone. In the past, individuals with mental retardation have not had the opportunity to have friends outside of their own environment. By becoming a college buddy, you can offer a buddy the chance to explore a new way of life. College chapters are active on 205 campuses worldwide!

BEST BUDDIES CITIZENS Best Buddies Citizens pairs people with mental retardation in one-to-one friendships with other individuals in the corporate and civic communities. Friends and family are the foundation that help all of us become successful. Without love, support, and friends, our lives would be empty--a life people with mental retardation have been forced to live throughout history. You can change this by sharing your time with a new friend. For more information on the Best Buddies High Schools, Colleges, or Citizens programs, call the Best Buddies Director of Programs at 1-800-89-BUDDY.

BEST BUDDIES JOBS Best Buddies Jobs continues the integration of people with mental retardation into the community through supported employment. The program targets job sites, places individuals, and promotes ongoing support and training, enabling people with mental retardation to earn an income, pay taxes, and work in an environment alongside others in the community. Michael D. West, Ph.D., with the Rehabilitation Research & Training Center on Supported Employment at Virginia Commonwealth University, conducted a survey of participants in Best Buddies Jobs. The results:
 

• 91.8% of employers felt their attitudes about persons with disabilities have become more positive since participating in the program.
• 98% of employers would recommend the supported employment program to other businesses.
• 100% of consumers felt they and their coworkers get along well.
• 100% feel their coworkers treat them the same as everyone else.

1989 - Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Best Buddies becomes America's first national, unified, social and recreational program for people with mental retardation.

• 33 college chapters

1990 - Best Buddies hosts the first National Leadership Conference, providing training to 100 carefully chosen student leaders from 66 campuses around the nation. Best Buddies Art Company is created to garner the support and creativity of internationally renowned artists. The Images of Friendship series is developed, raising more than $5 million to date, including masterpieces by Haring, Lichtenstein and Rauschenberg.

• 66 college chapters

1991 - Best Buddies hosts the first Leadership Conference for people with mental retardation, providing intensive training in public speaking, communication, problem solving, and leadership skills.

• 111 college chapters

1992 - Major grant from Florida Developmental Disabilities Planning Council results in a national office move to Miami, Florida. Best Buddies becomes Best Buddies International with the opening of our first international chapters in Greece.

• 138 college chapters

1993 - Best Buddies reaches further in the community with the establishment of Best Buddies Citizens with the goal of pairing adults with mental retardation in friendships with their non-disabled working peers.

• 164 college chapters
• 20 new citizen matches

1994 - Best Buddies expands its mission to include the workplace with the founding of Best Buddies Jobs, a supported employment program, targeting high paying, white-collar jobs for people with mental retardation. The program makes 24 successful placements in South Florida during its inaugural year.

• 171 college chapters
• 72 new citizen matches

1995 - Recognizing the need for teenagers with mental retardation to have greater socialization opportunities, Best Buddies establishes Best Buddies High Schools, with the goal of pairing special education students in one-to-one friendships with high school volunteers. Best Buddies Canada is officially launched on September 11, 1995.

• 177 college chapters
• 42 high school chapters
• 165 new citizen matches
• 24 supported jobs

1996 - Best Buddies is the first non-profit to have a national supported employment program for people with mental retardation as services expand to Southern California.

• 187 college chapters
• 72 high school chapters
• 166 new citizen matches
• 46 supported jobs

1997 - Best Buddies Jobs expands beyond South Florida and Southern California to include Massachusetts. Best Buddies increases participants to 10,000 in one year.

• 235 college chapters
• 112 high school chapters
• 112 new citizen matches
• 64 supported jobs

1998 - Endowment Campaign launched in honor of the Tenth Anniversary with a goal of raising $3 million by December 31, 1999. During 1998, more than 13,000 individuals participated in Best Buddies programs.

• 265 college chapters
• 141 high school chapters
• 110 new citizen matches
• 76 supported jobs

1999 - e-Buddies launched as a cutting edge online friendship program for people with and without mental retardation. Celebrating ten years of friendships, the tenth annual Leadership Conference returns to the founding place of Best Buddies, Georgetown University. The Suzanne Jovin memorial Leadership Fun is established in memory of the Yale student leader who died in 1998. In a continued effort to expand internationally, Best Buddies Egypt becomes the fourth country with Best Buddies programs.

• 298 college chapters
• 186 high school chapters
• 87 new citizen matches
• 100 supported jobs