As state fiscal woes imperil the budgets of the non-profit community, directors of Long Island-based charities are scrambling to retain funding, raise new money and build awareness. Standing out among this crowd of seasoned professionals is no small task. Now imagine taking the reins of a little-known non-profit just three short years ago, at the beginning of the recession, and turning into one the fastest growing charities on the Island.
That’s what Tammy Severino of Smithtown did. She was hired as the State Director for Best Buddies New York (BBNY) after a yearlong search and is overseeing three offices located in Shirley, Albany and Manhattan.
Best Buddies was founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver and is an outgrowth of the Kennedy clan’s dedication to helping those with special needs. It was established as a global volunteer movement to create opportunities for one-on-one friendships, employment and leadership development for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Tammy’s ultimate goal is to make BBNY a household name. “I want to make sure our footprint is statewide. Anyone anywhere in New York State who needs a buddy or wants to be a buddy should have a buddy,” she vows.
Since taking over as state director, Tammy has established 30 Best Buddy chapters in school districts across Long Island. And there is much more work to be done. Best Buddies Middle Schools pairs students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a one-on-one friendship with students without disabilities. Best Buddy High Schools offers a unique opportunity for older students to develop leadership skills and, with the support of school faculty and Best Buddy staff, have the chance to lead the chapters in their schools.
School administrators and parents from an additional 97 schools have asked Tammy to make the program available in their district and are now on a waiting list. Tammy points out that BBNY’s diverse programs have impacted 14,000 Long Islanders this year alone. “BB has a big effect on the kids. They realize that one person does make a difference and you can impact a life,” she says. “A peer buddy is somebody who is willing to make a friend for no other reason than to be a friend.”
As I listened to Tammy explain how BBNY works, I wondered who is getting more from the experience, the disabled peer or the young people in the program learning what it’s like to be friends with somebody that is different than them. It puts everyone on a level playing field and can be a lifelong learning experience for all.
On Long Island right now, all BBNY activities are school based and are centered around middle and high school students, but in 2011 Tammy is going to be rolling out an adults/citizen program that already has more than 100 buddies on a waiting list. She is also working on a BBNY jobs program where buddies would be fully integrated into the corporate culture with a job coach who would work with the individual and act as a liaison with the company. Tammy says the other state chapters have had great success with the program and that the joy of working with a buddy spreads throughout the company and elevates other employees’ performance. “When you have someone who is passionate about their business, it will translate to people who want to be around them. It’s a ROI that’s real,” she says and she asks, “How can we have it anywhere else in the US and not have it in New York?”
“There is nothing else like this program, anywhere,” Tammy says proudly. “One of the things that makes us different is there is such a sense of positive energy that exists with Best Buddies. It’s being around people with a remarkable sense of ‘we can.’”
For more information, go to www.BestBuddiesNewYork.org or email [email protected].
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