Best Buddies International is the world’s largest nonprofit organization devoted solely to providing opportunities for friendship, employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Through the creation of meaningful, lasting one-to-one friendships with peers without disabilities and the promotion of integrated employment opportunities, Best Buddies is changing the world one friendship and one job at a time.
“The partnership fits perfectly with The Ability Experience mission of using shared experiences to support people with disabilities and develop the men of Pi Kappa Phi into servant leaders,” says The Ability Experience CEO Chad Coltrane. “It is a win-win for both organizations and all involved. And the best thing about it is you make a new friend.”
If you are looking to get involved with an existing Best Buddies chapter or start a new one, you can download our Best Buddies Partnership Guide.
Many chapters of Pi Kappa Phi already have a strong relationship with Best Buddies on their Campus. Here are two stories.
Michael Lane – THETA RHO (Western Michigan)
At Western Michigan, Best Buddies and Pi Kappa Phi have impacted each other by expanding their horizons and creating more interaction within a community of people invested in the same purpose. Being able to plan events together has not only increased the number of people coming out to the events, but has spread our mission of inclusion and disability awareness to more people on campus and in the community.
Evan Cohen – ALPHA CHI (Miami)
As a leader in both Pi Kappa Phi and Best Buddies at the University of Miami, I have seen a dramatically positive shift in attitude and understanding among both populations. By bringing together very different groups of people, I was able to witness a uniform sense of inclusion, regardless of background or appearance. Both organizations try to instill the acceptance and understanding of others, which was obvious to witness through the overall camaraderie at our events. At the end of the day, we are all human, no one person better or worse than another, simply different in the greatest sense of the word.
Contact nbreaux@abilityexperience.org with questions.