My Nonprofit Reviews

Best Buddies has truly brought something extra special to my life. I am currently a Visual Communication Senior attending Herron School of Art & Design located directly downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. This past semester, spring semester of Junior year, my creative team and I had both the privilege and opportunity to work with Best Buddies Indiana. This semester-long project ended with the delivery of a creative communications campaign that would ultimately better the organization. "Buddy Up", the title of the campaign, serves to gain awareness and spur the interest in getting more people involved within the organization. Many teammates of my group decided to jump in the organization ourselves to gain a real sense of what the organization was all about - given that most of us were completely new to the organization. I soon gained a Buddy, a person with a disability, but I like to label him as a life-long friend. Matt and I talk daily through either the phone (both talk and text) and via Facebook. Matt is considered high-functioning, yet doesn't technically have a label, although he's 27, but has a reading level of a third-grader. He truly knows how to make me smile and laugh in any given situation - for that, I'm thankful. "Buddy Up" just recently launched statewide in 72 high schools and colleges this past fall. It has been an amazing ride with Best Buddies and I know for a doubt it will continue. The stories my team and I have been receiving from area chapters has been absolutely rewarding knowing that not only it's working in gaining interest, but they're having a blast carrying it out. Best Buddies has taught me a great deal of character and has opened up my mind into not being so judgmental. I've learned to look past people's disabilities while in return embracing their abilities.

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