Miami, FL, March 22, 2024 — Rubin Wilson may not be putting out fires, but he is an important member of the Hialeah Fire Department.

Rubin, a member of the Best Buddies Jobs Program in Miami, an integrated employment program ran by Best Buddies International, a nonprofit dedicated to creating opportunities for friendship, employment, leadership development and inclusive living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), has worked as an administrative support staffer at the department for the past five years.

The Best Buddies Jobs Program collaborates with Project SEARCH, a “one-year school-to-work transition program designed for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are either in their last year of high school or are recent graduates,” to provide jobs training to participants like Rubin in Miami and at other locations across the country.

Rubin has been a model employee, Project SEARCH graduate and Best Buddies participant. At work, Rubin is respectful, reliable and eager to learn. He supports the department with different administrative tasks. Because of his length of employment and contributions to the staff, his salary has doubled since he was hired. Additionally, he receives benefits including paid time off, health insurance and a 401(k)-matching plan.

Rubin also serves as a mentor to current Project SEARCH participants, acting as a role model and providing them with first-hand experience on how to acquire and maintain a fruitful career.

“Rubin’s resilience and charisma have greatly benefited numerous Project Search students,” Daniela Santana, the deputy director of Jobs for Best Buddies in Miami, said. “His legacy will continue to inspire future generations.”

Rubin’s job has also empowered him to engage in 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.

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.

Rubin recently moved into the Miami location of Best Buddies Living, which provides each resident with their own room and bathroom, and the apartment also has shared living and kitchen spaces. The apartment building is just blocks from the University of Miami, and residents are granted access to the campus and all events with a partnership between the school and the program. Residents with IDD, like Rubin, are also taught independent living skills by an on-site residential manager.

Thanks to his hard work and the opportunities provided by Best Buddies, Rubin is now more independent and self-sufficient than ever. With a stable job and his own place to call home, Rubin is truly a shining example of what people with an IDD can accomplish when provided with the right support.

“Best Buddies has given Rubin a sense of purpose, happiness, and fulfillment,” Nikita Rhodes, an executive assistant at the Hialeah Fire Department, said. “It has been an absolute pleasure watching him perform.”

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