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June 2022

Happy PRIDE month! Here at Best Buddies, we believe in inclusion for ALL. We are beyond grateful for our friends in the LGBTQIA+ community and their continuous support of our mission. We were so lucky to have volunteers from Gay For Good at our 2022 Los Angeles Friendship Walk. They were the largest volunteer group at our LA Friendship Walk, with 40 individuals committed to ensuring our event was a success. Check out more information on Gay For Good below!

“We believe Best Buddies offer great programs benefiting the IDD community. Your mission is something we want to support. Personally, I have a family member with Down syndrome. I am glad for organizations like Best Buddies who provide the support he needs.”

– Tiffany Ming, Gay For Good Chapter Leader

Gay For Good mobilizes LGBTQ+ people and allies to volunteer in the broader community. Through volunteer service projects, they hope to enhance LGBTQ+ visibility, cultivate understanding, and build positive relationships between diverse groups of people. All while doing Good and helping those in need.

Gay for Good is nationwide, with chapters in 19 cities and counting! You can visit gayforgood.org, find your city, and sign up to be notified of future volunteer opportunities.

Congrats, Class of 2022

As the school year comes to a close, we want to thank all our students, advisors, and chapter leaders for their commitment to positive change. During the 2021-2022 school year, our Best Buddies California programs provided programming to 191 schools, directly impacting 4773 students, creating 636 genuine one-to-one friendships between students with and without disabilities.

Additionally, our Ambassador program hosted 5 trainings throughout this year, providing leadership opportunities for 175 individuals to be self-advocates throughout the community. All of this would not be possible without the help of our school chapters to move our mission forward. Thank you for everything you do, and we hope you have a great summer!

Volunteer Spotlight

Meet Ava Hamelburg Friendship Program, Windsor High School

How are you involved in Best Buddies?

"I've been in Best Buddies since freshman year (4 years). I've been the President and Match Supervisor at my school for the past 2 years, but I've been a chapter officer all 4 years."

Why is inclusion important to you?

"Inclusion is important to me because I know that intellectual and developmental ability doesn't interfere with our ability to be friends. By seeing each relationship as unique and each person as deserving of the effort to make accommodations, we can build the strongest friendships."

What has been your proudest Best Buddies moment?

"My proudest Best Buddies moment was probably when we made Valentines and handed them out to the students at our school because it involved working together to make the cards and getting to know our classmates who aren't in Best Buddies.

I'm lucky to be friends with all of our members, but I love that I have a special connection with each of them: whether it's about Blues Clues, bracelets, red shoes, the color blue, or being told that "your shoes are untied."

Ambassador of the Month

"[Best Buddies helps me make] new friends. It is hard to see people in person since the pandemic but Best Buddies has virtual events and I have made new friends. I like to chat, do fun activities, and spend time with my family and friends."

 

Get Involved with Best Buddies

Do you want to learn more about Best Buddies and how to get involved? Join our July orientation! In just 30 minutes, you will learn about our mission, programs, and local volunteer opportunities. Plus, you'll get to meet other awesome individuals interested in making an impact!

July Volunteer Orientation

July 13th from 5:00pm-5:30pm

Email us to get signed up | Richard Nakai: RichardNakai@bestbuddies.org

June Events Calendar