Washington, D.C., March 15, 2024 — Rodrigo Balvanera immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico in 2022, but it wasn’t until 2023 that he found his home, all thanks to a Facebook post.

“It was kind of a coincidence that I stumbled on that post,” Rodrigo said. “I was apartment hunting all over the internet, and after hearing about the Best Buddies Living program, I was all-in.”

Rodrigo, who is a master’s student at American University, is a resident at the Georgetown location of Best Buddies Living, a program that provides inclusive, independent housing opportunities for people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) where they can learn, grow and thrive. The program is run by Best Buddies International, a nonprofit dedicated to creating opportunities for friendship, employment, leadership development and inclusive living for people with IDD.

Best Buddies Living is designed to foster inclusion. There are five locations nationwide, and it is the only IDD housing program with a non-institutional structure that places individuals with and without IDD in the same facility.

“I had many options of places to move into, but my previous experience working with adults with IDD made me really excited,” Rodrigo said.

Rodrigo’s previous experience came from his participation from the Somos Uno Más Program at his university, Universidad Iberoamericana, located in Mexico City. The program helps college-age individuals with IDD develop academic, social and employment skills.

According to Rodrigo, participation in a social service program was a requirement for graduation. He volunteered with Somos Uno Mas for one year and taught literature and diction to participants. He then expanded his participation in the program, attending social outings with the participants.

“I would join them in their painting classes, cultural classes and dance classes,” Rodrigo recalled. “I started to grow friendships with a lot of [the participants] and I still consider some of them my close friends.”

While the missions of Best Buddies and Somos Uno Mas strongly align, Rodrigo had only heard mentions of it from some of his friends at his school.

“Some of the students in Somos Uno Mas would go to Best Buddies events, but I never went,” Rodrigo said. “I think I had it in the back of my mind, but it wasn’t at the forefront of my mind when I came to the United States.”

Upon immigrating, Rodrigo moved into an apartment, but sought to move closer to his university. That is when he stumbled upon that fateful Facebook post, which led to an interview with Julia Moluf, the director of Best Buddies Living, and Holly Goshin, the senior director of Best Buddies Living.

“At first, I was kind of nervous,” Rodrigo said. “I then met my current roommates, Peter and Rob (who both have an IDD), over Zoom, and we clicked instantly. That’s when I realized this was the place I wanted to be.”

Rodrigo, however, faced pushback from some of his friends when he informed them of his new living situation.

“During the process of moving [into Best Buddies Living] I had spoken with some of my friends, and 99% of them were like, ‘What are you thinking, are you crazy?’” Rodrigo said. “That was an eye-opening moment, and I tried to silence those voices that hadn’t had any experience with people with IDD.”

Like other residents without IDD in Best Buddies Living, Rodrigo is not expected to be a caretaker of his roommates with IDD. The participants with IDD are taught life skills by an on-site residential manager, leaving Rodrigo to live like normal.

The Georgetown residence provides each person with their own room and bathroom, and the apartment also has shared living and kitchen spaces. The apartment building is just blocks from Georgetown University, and residents are granted access to the campus and all events with a partnership between the school and the program.

Rodrigo noted that the apartment has allowed him to excel in his studies.

“I think my roommates and I have developed very healthy relationships. We all trust each other and respect our boundaries,” Rodrigo said. “In fact, I think I had more trouble studying in my past households.”

Best Buddies Living also plans social events for its residents ranging from group dinners to sporting events. For Rodrigo, he particularly enjoyed a paint-and-sip night (where he and his roommates enjoyed wine while painting), a tour of a local botanical garden and a visit to a haunted house on Halloween.

When it all started, Rodrigo was looking for an apartment, but happened to find a family as well.

“I feel so comfortable here,” Rodrigo said. “I feel happy, I feel fulfilled and I love my roommates.”

To learn more about Best Buddies Living, click here.

About Best Buddies
Best Buddies^® is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living, and family support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Founded in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver, Best Buddies is a vibrant organization that has grown from one original chapter to nearly 3,000 middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide. Today, Best Buddies’ 12 formal programs — Elementary Schools, Middle Schools, High Schools, Colleges, Citizens, e-Buddies®, Jobs, Ambassadors, Promoters, Transitions, Inclusive Living and Eunie’s Buddies— engage participants in each of the 50 states and in 45 countries, positively impacting the lives of nearly one million people with and without disabilities around the world. In many cases, as a result of their involvement with Best Buddies, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities secure rewarding jobs, live on their own, become inspirational leaders, and make lifelong friendships. For more information, please visit bestbuddies.org or connect with us via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Media Inquiries
Best Buddies International
Nicole Maddox
Vice President, Communications
NicoleMaddox@Bestbuddies.org