Best Buddies, a global and local nonprofit, connects students with community members who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, fostering friendships beyond campus.
With around 50 active student members, the University’s chapter of Best Buddies aims to enhance the lives of its counterparts with intellectual and developmental disabilities while forming lasting friendships.
The student members of the organization are paired with a buddy with an intellectual or developmental disability and foster a profound connection through weekly FaceTimes, texts and meetings.
Buddies are meant to be paired with a student who has similar interests and hobbies to ensure a deeper interpersonal connection. Executive members of the organization put care into deciding who will work best with whom.
“When going through peer buddy applications, we are gaging based on the support needs of an individual or what their interests are to find buddy community members who would be a good match,” said Maeve Lovell, chapter Vice President.
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The buddy matching system is more thorough than a one-time application, as the organization intends to provide the best member experience for those with intellectual disabilities.
“We have monthly check-ins where I make sure that people can communicate with their buddy and that they still have the time commitment to remain a peer buddy,” Lovell said. “If there are ever any questions or concerns, I address them as the initial contact and coordinate with other exec members as needed.”
Although the buddy system is one of the most beneficial components of the organization, members do not require a student-specific buddy to remain in the organization.
All members are dedicated to creating meaningful connections through monthly events like game nights, holiday parties and group opportunities. These gatherings allow students and buddies to bond in a fun and inclusive environment.
“A big part of event planning for us is just stuff we think would be fun for everyone to do,” said Brendan O’Brien, chapter President. “We had a bowling event this year, which I really liked. In years past, we had a picnic and we typically try to go to one University sporting event.”
The organization’s impact goes beyond just events — it shines through in the relationships developed and experiences given to the buddies in the community.
Many of the buddy participants return year after year, drawn by the friendships they’ve built. Best Buddies finds new members through outreach to local organizations, schools and families to ensure that everyone who wants to be part of the program has the chance to connect and grow together.
“It’s really important for individuals with disabilities, especially once they have graduated high school or a transition program, to get connected with individuals without disabilities because that’s really how so many of our buddies stay connected,” said Colleen Yopp, disability advocacy chair and event coordinator.
Best Buddies is vital to keeping participants connected to their communities, offering meaningful social interactions with supportive individuals.
“A lot of the buddies are on the same basketball team, volleyball team or the same bowling team; they do the same musicals, different organizations and even work together literally,” Yopp said. “So they’re connected to each other, but it’s also important for them to be connected with other people outside of the disability community.”
The sense of connection within the disability community highlights the importance of building relationships beyond it.
To foster inclusivity and understanding, student members of Best Buddies actively educate themselves on disability advocacy and work to raise awareness through workshops hosted at their monthly chapter meeting.
“I present a different topic every meeting, and one of the ones I’ve done so far was about what special education looks like in schools,” Yopp said. “I feel like there’s a lot of terms thrown about, like IEP or 504, that people might not know about, and I think people should know about those things and what special education looks like.”
Through these topic presentations, Yopp and other organization members aim to teach their peers topics that are not generally discussed but are fundamental for integrating and understanding those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Along with furthering education on disabilities, Best Buddies advocates for these populations even further through fundraisers.
Each Best Buddies student-member pays yearly dues spent on sponsoring different club events, such as tickets to University sporting events. On top of these dues, the organization hosts fundraisers, from selling merch to donut sales on the Quad, where all profits go to improving the club and its events.
Beyond education, advocacy and other organizational responsibilities, Best Buddies emphasizes inclusivity by encouraging all students on campus to join.
“Our organization is fun,” O’Brien said. “Literally, what our club does is we have events that we go to to interact and socialize. It’s really just an enjoyable thing to do.”
Membership is open to anyone passionate about fostering friendships and making a difference, regardless of prior experience with the disability community.
