On October 22, Best Buddies Maine hosted a Gala in an effort to raise funds for their program initiatives. The event, which brought in over $205,000, had more than 300 people in attendance and brought in $30,000 more than the last in-person Gala hosted in 2019.
The nonprofit, international organization works to foster one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development and inclusive living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). According to Rebecca Williams, Director of Mission Advancement for Maine, there are a total of 16 chapters statewide.
At each of these 16 locations, Best Buddies offers their serving of bringing people together. There are many benefits to building friendships for others, Rebecca said, noting that those who have meaningful connections have higher levels of confidence and are more likely to be involved in their community.
“We connect people in one-on-one friendships, specifically those who have IDD who may find it difficult to make friends naturally. By pairing people together, we help to open the doors and break down the barriers in friendship that exist culturally and in our society.”
The organization, which was founded in 1989 by Anthony Shriver of Georgetown University, has grown exponentially since its inception. In 2019, the Best Buddies Maine chapter was established. In just two short years, Rebecca noted, they’ve added 14 chapters in Maine.
“The money we raised at our recent event will go to support our programs here. We were able to hire a second full-time employee, and we hope our chapter locations in the state will double in size by next year.”
As the only full-time, paid employee for Best Buddies Maine currently, Rebecca said the organization relies heavily on volunteers. Having the ability to add more employees, she said, will help to broaden their outreach.
She further explained that over the past 18 months, connection and friendship opportunities have dwindled due to the worldwide pandemic. People with IDD, she explained, often feel that kind of isolation due to their disabilities.
“A lot of people with IDD often live in a reality where they only see family or paid caregivers. With the pandemic, we’ve all gotten a taste of what it feels like to be isolated. To get through tough times, we need friends to rely on, both people with IDD and their neuro-typical peers.”
In addition to offering these programs to school-aged children, Best Buddies has recently started a citizens program in the Greater Portland area. The goal of that initiative, Rebecca said, is to connect adults in friendships as well.
“While our outreach is strong, we will continue to grow and hope to be in both the Lewiston and Bangor area some time soon,” she said. “For now, we do all we can to support those who could benefit from our services. We’re so thankful for the community's support and can’t wait to see what the future has in store.”
