| Last updated on October 29, 2008 |
Mission Statement: To enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment.
Description:
Why Best Buddies? People with intellectual disabilities are often excluded from social and employment opportunities. Best Buddies seeks to break down the stereotypes that facilitate this social isolation by establishing friendships between people with intellectual disabilities and people without intellectual disabilities. People with intellectual disabilities are productive, contributing members of society who attend school, hold jobs, pay taxes, raise families, and live independently. Through their friendships, people with intellectual disabilities learn invaluable social and life skills, which allow them to learn, grow and succeed in society. We accomplish our mission by:
-Establishing Best Buddies chapters on high school and college campuses in Indiana
-Empowering people with intellectual disabilities to have a presence online through e-Buddies
-Motivating our volunteers to take responsibility within their communities
History:
In the fall of 1987, while a student at Georgetown University, Best Buddies Founder and Chairman Anthony K. Shriver saw the immense amount of talent existing on campuses that, if properly directed, could make a real difference in the community Shriver conceived the idea of channeling the untapped desire for service that many college students possessed toward individuals with intellectual disabilities That first chapter provided an opportunity for 52 Georgetown University students and 52 people with intellectual disabilities from the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Institute to become friends. Upon graduation from college, Shriver incorporated Best Buddies into a national non-profit organization. Since incorporation in 1989, more than 200,000 lives have been impacted by Best Buddies. Best Buddies was brought to Indiana through a generous gift of $100,000 from the parent-driven Indiana Down Syndrome Foundation. In January, 2002, the Indiana Office opened at 21 Virginia Avenue, Indianapolis, IN.
Contact person: Natalie Seibert, Program Director, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (317) 920-8624
Address:
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3050 N. Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46208
(See a map) |
Web Site: http://www.bestbuddiesindiana.org
Directions:
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The office of Best Buddies Indiana is located in the Rausch-Schnull Mansion, just north of the Children's Museum. Parking is located behind the house and is accessible through the Children's Museum parking lot. |
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