Best Buddies in North Carolina offers One-to-One Friendship and Leadership Development programs for individuals with and without intellectual disabilities.
One-To-One Friendships
Fosters one-to-one friendships between individuals with and without IDD. In this time of heightened social and emotional development that can be difficult even for teenagers without IDD, the Best Buddies friendship program helps break through social barriers at an important time in a young person’s life.
![BB-Friendship-Pillar Two female Best Buddies participants embrace while smiling, and sitting in a grassy field.](https://www.bestbuddies.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/BB-Friendship-Pillar.webp)
Integrated Employment
The Best Buddies Jobs program represents one of our organization’s four key mission pillars, Integrated Employment. This program secures jobs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), allowing them to earn an income, pay taxes, and continuously and independently support themselves.
![BB-Jobs-Pillar1 A male Best Buddies Jobs participant working in an law office](https://www.bestbuddies.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/BB-Jobs-Pillar1.webp)
Leadership Development
Best Buddies Leadership Development programs represents one of our organization’s four key mission pillars. The programs educate and empower people with and without IDD to become leaders, public speakers and advocates. Best Buddies passionately believes that its program participants can lead the effort within their community and beyond to build a more inclusive world for people with IDD.
![BB-Leadership-Pillar A female Buddy Ambassador standing at a podium delivering a speech](https://www.bestbuddies.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/BB-Leadership-Pillar.webp)
Living
The Best Buddies Living program represents one of our organization’s four key mission pillars, Inclusive Living. This program fosters an integrated experience for people with and without IDD to become active, contributing citizens who live independently in a dynamic environment where they can learn, grow, and thrive.
![BB-Living-Pillar1 Best Buddies Living roommates doing laundry.](https://www.bestbuddies.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/BB-Living-Pillar1.webp)