Best Buddies Connecticut Citizens Program: Create Friendship Within Your Community
Looking for a way to build friendships and spread inclusivity within your community?
Consider joining the Best Buddies Connecticut Citizens Program! Best Buddies is an
international nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a global volunteer movement to
create one-on-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive
living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Best Buddies is well-
known in Connecticut schools, with chapters in elementary schools, middle schools, high
schools, and colleges, along with Citizens Chapters for individuals 18 years or older. Best
Buddies CT also offers the unique opportunity for adults to get involved in the Citizens Program
to form a one-on-one friendship with an individual with IDD in the community. This unique
program creates an opportunity for adults to volunteer with Best Buddies and create civic and
corporate partnerships.
Learn about the impact that you can make through the Citizens Program through
reading about a Fairfield County Citizens friendship pair. Sarah Sykes, Special Education teacher
at Fairfield Warde High School, has been a part of Best Buddies since high school, and has
recently joined the Citizens program and gained a new friend, Vanessa. Sarah has been a
dedicated member of Best Buddies through serving as the New Canaan high school chapter
president, and later went on to create a chapter of Best Buddies at Midway College after
discovering that they did not have a chapter. Sarah decided to continue her passion and
participation in Best Buddies through the Citizens program. Sarah and Vanessa enjoying
swimming together, attending speech sessions, shopping, going for walks around a local lake,
and getting lunch together, especially sushi! When Sarah was asked why people should join the
Citizens program, her response had several elements. For starters, it’s a great way to make
new friends! She also expressed the joy she experienced through developing her friendship
with Vanessa, and learned how to communicate with her and understand what Vanessa was
trying to express with her. Their close friendship and communication that has developed over
time represents the meaningful bonds that are developed through the Citizens program.
To learn more about joining the Best Buddies Citizens program please use the following link to
sign up: https://www.bestbuddies.org/connecticut/friendship. If you have any questions, feel
free to reach out to Bill White via email or phone at [email protected] or 860-877-
0130.
