IMPACT REPORT 2022
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MESSAGE FROM OUR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Dear Friends,
All of us at Best Buddies extend our deepest appreciation to our wonderful partners at Shutterfly Brands for such a successful 2022! Your support and dedication to our mission helps our programs grow, creating more inclusive communities all over the world.
Cheers to continued growth in 2023!
In Friendship,
David Quilleon Senior Vice President
Best Buddies International
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2022 +
Here’s what we’ve accomplished, because of your support in
Over 95,000 participants around the globe!
50 States | 47 Countries 2,938 TOTAL CHAPTERS 501 Middle Schools 1,407 High Schools 515 Colleges 7,858 Citizens Participants 3,236 e-Buddies Participants 95,887 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS 958,870 IMPACTED ONE-TO-ONE FRIENDSHIP PROGRAM
MEET MOLLY & JENNY
Florida Buddy Pair – matched for 8 years!
are best friends and best buddies for a lifetime!”
Molly and Jenny call each other ‘Framily’, or friends who are family. They love going to the movies, having sleepovers, and attending sporting events and dance shows. Our partnership helps friendships like these thrive all over the country!
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“We
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“I get by with a little help from my friends.”
1,787 EMPLOYED PARTICIPANTS 1,801,171 Yearly Hours Worked $24,910,194 Yearly Wages Earned INTEGRATED EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM
MEET JEROME
love my job and take pride in the work
At Safeway, Jerome loves the customers, the environment, and being able to interact with fellow employees. He works hard every day and is saving up to buy himself a car. Our partnership helps people like Jerome find their dream jobs!
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“I
I do.”
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California Jobs Participant
Courtesy Clerk, Safeway Supermarkets
467 AMBASSADORS PARTICIPANTS 7,506 PROMOTERSS PARTICIPANTS In 515 Schools LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
MEET MIKAYLA
Global Ambassador from Minnesota!
Mikayla made history as the first woman with Down syndrome to compete in any of the Miss USA pagaents. She is a leader and advocate for people with IDD and is a big reason why Best Buddies in Minnesota exists. Our partnership ensures that people like Mikayla have a voice in our communitiies.
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“Through Best Buddies I have met new friends, gained self-confidence and learned how to be a leader.”
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INCLUSIVE LIVING PROGRAM
3 Residences
WASHINGTON, D.C. GEORGETOWN MIAMI
MEET VINCE
Best Buddies Living, Washington, D.C.
The inclusive living program allows Vince the opportunity to experience a supportive, integrated community with his peers. Having a place to call home gives him a sense of independence, respect, and happiness. Without partners like you, this wouldn’t be possible!
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“People with IDD deserve to live in a community where they feel safe and supported.”
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14 33,000 supporters walked for inclusion at our Friendship Walks in 67 markets. $5.1 M Raised $7.7 M Raised 380 Champions raised funds and awareness for our cause through the support of 15,000 Gala attendees in 48 markets. SIGNATURE EVENTS
Together, we envisioned a partnership celebrating & capturing life’s milestone moments. For those with IDD, these milestone moments aren’t guaranteed.
Support from the Shutterfly family of brands has helped Best Buddies provide opportunities for people of all abilities to have the chance to enjoy these moments, and capture them on film, as they are designing their future.
OUR PARTNERSHIP +
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP DAY CONCERT & CELEBRATION
On July 28, 2022, Best Buddies and Shutterfly collaborated on an amazing awareness event for the International Friendship Day! The virtual event was broadcast across the US with hundreds of Shutterfly employees tuning in to hear Best Buddies mission of inclusion. The celebration featured Global Ambassador's Josh Felder and Kellie Howard sharing their wonderful stories of perseverance; a charismatic singing duet by Best Buddy's Friendship pair Jessica Lewis and Julia Ruth Preston, and was led by National singing sensation, Marlana Vanhoose who sang her heart out singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and ended the celebration appropriately with "You've Got a Friend."
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SUPPORTING OUR MISSION IN ACTION +
❑ Across the country, 27 Shutterfly employees led the charge by signing up to volunteer in a number of ways: supporting events, being a friend, training our Ambassadors and photographing local awareness events.
❑ Shutterfly Foundations in Minnesota, Arizona and South Carolina, provided grants, printing needs, photographer services and rolled up their sleeves to volunteer at events.
It was such an honor for my husband and I to represent the special partnership between Shutterfly and Best Buddies at the recent Champion of the Year Gala Event in Phoenix. We look forward to a rewarding continuing partnership in the future.
Janet Berge Client Services Specialist | Shutterfly
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CAPTURING THE MOMENTS +
"The Best Buddies Gala was truly an amazing event with amazing people. It was so much fun and congrats on exceeding your fundraising goal! Thanks again for letting us photograph the event, we had a blast!“
Carrie Henderson Manager of Program Management | Shutterfly
“Two Shutterfly volunteers took the pictures at our event and they were amazing! They were incredible and saved us thousands in photography fees!"
Tammy Medlock State Director | Best Buddies in North Carolina
Match Parties
It's A Match Parties are when School chapters match students with and without IDD into one-to-one friendships. To reveal the matches to participants, they host a celebratory Match Party. Professional Shutterfly photographers attended a few of these Match Parties and captured the moments of friendships being made.
DOWNINGTOWN EAST
HIGH SCHOOL
Pennsylvania
Each member unwrapped a gift box containing half of a compound word (like base-ball, cup-cake, etc.) and wore their word on a necklace. Then they searched for the person who had the corresponding word
their new Best Buddy
CALIFORNIA STATE
UNIVERSITY
California
Tom heard about Best Buddies on social media and found out more about the club on campus. He got matched with David and can’t wait to have fun with new friends and help out as much as he possibly can. He thinks Best Buddies is truly inspiring.
OWATONNA MIDDLE SCHOOL Minnesota
Audrey heard about Best Buddies at the school’s activity fair, and it really intrigued her. She thought Best Buddies was a really cool way to include everybody. She instantly wanted Dani to be her buddy when she met her! They can’t wait to play Roblox and watch Aladdin together!
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BUDDY JOURNALS & PHOTO JOURNALS
Thanks to the creativity of the Shutterfly Design team, The Buddy Journal and Photo Journal has been distributed across the United States to our 10,000 friendship buddy pairs. Buddy pairs will fill out the journal throughout the year and it will be a treasured keepsake filled with memories made throughout the year.
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We can’t wait to see what we’ll accomplish together in 2023!
