Thanks to VoLo Foundation, Best Buddies in Florida is ensuring that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are learning about climate-specific topics through hands-on initiatives.

VoLo Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 2014 by Thais Lopez Vogel and David S. Vogel, with the mission of accelerating change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health. VoLo Foundation believes that developing and sharing knowledge through facts and data accelerates positive global change. Through original research and analysis, and, in collaboration with philanthropic and academic partners, VoLo Foundation aims to enrich people’s lives, strengthen communities, and educate future generations. The organization tracks its progress through a variety of qualitative and quantitative approaches, and supports programs that generate measurable, meaningful, and sustainable results.

Specifically, VoLo Foundation is empowering Best Buddies participants to enact positive global change and climate impact through training, advocacy, and civic engagements. Our Best Buddies Ambassadors and Citizen members then utilize the skills they gained to impact change within their own local community. In turn this helps people with IDD become part of mainstream society and create a more inclusive and diverse community for all.

As a proud grantee of VoLo Foundation, Best Buddies in Florida partnered with Friends of Long Lake for example, where Kelly Baumier meets with Professor Green to learn about how bugs can be cool and very important for our environment. You can check out the video here: Best Buddies and Bugs! – YouTube. Best Buddies in Florida has also hosted a trivia night to create dialogue revolving a wide array of positive climate initiatives everyone can participate in. Additionally, VoLo Foundation’s support has allowed for climate experts to join Working Wednesdays on a quarterly basis to educate jobs participants who are looking for work, on various climate initiatives they can involve themselves in both personally and at work.

Recently, our state director Andi Allen, participated on a panel at the Florida Philanthropic Network to discuss specifically why all organizations, not only in Florida, but across the country should also be thinking of how individuals with different abilities should be at the table where programs take place and where funding decisions are made.

Are you interested in learning more about the work that VoLo is doing and how you can support them? Visit their website: volofoundation.org