Maryland Friendship Resources

If you are looking for the official site of Best Buddies Maryland, go here: https://www.bestbuddies.org/maryland/

This is an information website on the Best Buddies organization of Maryland.

The mission of Best Buddies Maryland is to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment!

Best Buddies Maryland offers One-to-One Friendship, and Leadership Development programs – positively impacting over 50,000 individuals with and without disabilities in Maryland.

FAQs About the Organization

What is Best Buddies?
Best Buddies is a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for socialization and employment. The basis of the program is to foster friendships between people with intellectual disabilities and college students, middle school students, high school students, and community members. The Maryland office of Best Buddies International was established in 1995 and offers Best Buddies Middle Schools, High Schools, Colleges, Citizens, and e-Buddies.

The office is funded with the help of foundation and government grants, special events, and private and corporate donations. Individual Best Buddies chapters are encouraged to hold fund-raisers, sell Best Buddies merchandise, and obtain community support to finance group outings.

Why Best Buddies?
People with intellectual disabilities are often excluded from social and employment opportunities. Best Buddies seeks to break down the stereotypes that facilitate this social isolation by establishing friendships between people with intellectual disabilities and people without intellectual disabilities. People with intellectual disabilities are productive, contributing members of society who attend school, hold jobs, pay taxes, raise families and live independently. Through their friendships, people with intellectual disabilities learn invaluable social and life skills, which allow them to learn, grow and succeed in society.

Who is eligible?
Individuals with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities and those without disabilities who would like to share in a mutually enriching friendship are eligible. Best Buddies matches volunteers based on similar interests, geographic location, schedules and gender.

Who provides support for the buddy pairs?
Best Buddies staff, chapter officers, faculty leaders, special education advisors and host site coordinators work together to provide the support and information needed to facilitate strong and lasting relationships.

How is Best Buddies funded?
The office is funded with the help of foundation and government grants, special events, and private and corporate donations. Individual Best Buddies chapters are encouraged to hold fund-raisers, sell Best Buddies merchandise, and obtain community support to finance group outings.

What are intellectual disabilities?
A person with an intellectual disability is someone who develops at a slower than average rate and experiences difficulty in learning and social adjustment. Intellectual Disabilities are conditions, not diseases and should not be confused with mental illness. More than 7.5 million Americans have an intellectual disability, which can be caused by any condition that impairs development of the brain during pregnancy, birth or childhood.