Written by Katelyn Bollenbacher, 12/6/2011
As the holidays are approaching, things are starting to wind down with our friendship programs. Chapters are filling out their mid-year evaluations, reflecting on the ups and downs of the fall semester, and setting goals for the spring semester. Many schools in the Bay Area are wrapping the 2011 year off with exciting events and meetings. San Francisco State University had their first off-campus event where they went bowling. University of San Francisco brought buddies to the men’s basketball game and were honored as special guests. At a time out during the fourth quarter, USF athletics brought out and promoted Best Buddies on the court and the entire crowd gave their applause, with many people standing. According to Krisna Tahija from USF, “I guess the best part of it was when people stood up and clapped for members of Best Buddies as we walked with all our Buddies to center court. That moment really did reveal to me the sense of appreciation that people have for this wonderful organization.” International High School and Oaks Children’s Center had their first meeting of the school year on Wednesday, November 30 and everyone was ecstatic with the connections that were made. I started the meeting off with an ice-breaker where questions were posed about possible interests, and everyone with that interest had to go to the center of the circle and high-five each other. Markus, the Host Site Coordinator from Oaks told me that it was a hit, especially for Gabriel, who feels relaxed with personal contact. Then they broke up into buddy pairs and got to know each other, made a communication plan, and then played some board games—all while enjoying a nice slice of pizza. All in all it was a hit. The Chapter President Kelsey Boylan says, "There were some logistical problems so to see this finally work out was really rewarding. Everyone had a great time getting to know their buddy. I played connect four with my buddy Gabriel and his best friend George. We all had a great time and I'm looking forward to our next meeting."
Many of our expansion schools have been slow to start, but with friendship and ending bullying at school in mind, many of our advisors have a new found desire to jumpstart in January. At Everett and Francisco Middle Schools, our plan is to send out letters to teachers having them recommend students to be peer buddies (students without IDD) before the break. Starting in the beginning of January, we will let these students know they have been hand-picked by their teachers and have them join us for an informational meeting to hear all about Best Buddies. From there we will have our first socials and make matches!
It’s an exciting time for Best Buddies, as holiday break is a great way to start fresh with new goals, ideas, and enthusiasm.
