NYS DDPC Announces $100,000 Awarded to Best Buddies of New York

ALBANY, NY (06/15/2007)(readMedia)-- New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) Announces $100,000 Awarded to Best Buddies of New York (BBNY) For Second Year Of Work On A Statewide Middle School Development Initiative For Youth With And Without Developmental Disabilities

George E. Fertal, Sr., Chairperson, announced that on June 1, 2007 the New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) awarded $100,000 to Best Buddies New York (BBNY). Best Buddies Inc. was founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver and is dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment. Best Buddies is a vibrant, international organization that has grown from one original chapter to more than 1,300 middle school, high school, and college campuses across the country and internationally.

The purpose of the grant is to give children (ages 9 to 13) with developmental disabilities an opportunity to partner with children without disabilities and engage in a variety of inclusive activities such as sporting events (basketball, baseball) and social activities including planning a winter festival and organizing a school based garden. Staff of Best Buddies NY is providing training, technical assistance and mentoring to the 17 newly formed chapters throughout New York State. During the next year, Best Buddies NY will continue to expand to more middle school programs throughout New York State.

Kaylee Jacoby, Executive Director of Best Buddies NY said, “Students with special needs hear about their school’s sporting events, dances, clubs and social service days, but these activities are not yet fully available to them. The Best Buddies School programs addresses specific gaps and weaknesses in the infrastructure of New York schools that administrators and faculty alone can’t eliminate. This program creates an environment of inclusion and appreciation of diversity while fostering social skills – the building blocks of confident and independent adults.”

DDPC Chairperson George E. Fertal, Sr., and a parent of two sons with severe disabilities said, “Children with disabilities have felt like outsiders for so long. Having friends and being included will bring them a joy and happiness they have never known.”

The DDPC is a federally funded state agency dedicated to designing and implementing new programs that serve people with developmental disability and their families in the most effective way possible. Sixty percent of the governor appointed membership is parents and people with developmental disabilities. For more information on the DDPC, go to: www.ddpc.state.ny.us

Best Buddies NY relies on donations and solicitation of funds to implement and expand services throughout New York State. By involving members of the community in the funding of these programs it invests them in the Best Buddies mission and its continued success. The impact of the friendship programs starts in the school, but with the help of invested community partners the mission can quickly reach far beyond the campus grounds.

Chairperson Fertal said that “with all the wonderful programs and services we have in New York, nothing will serve these children better than the friendships they develop with this program.”

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