Best Buddies
Menard-St. Mary’s Best Buddies Chapter
Program
Menard has a new Best Buddies Club! The club met November 9 to elect club
officers. Cheyanne Wallen was chosen as president. Elise Primeaux was chosen
as vice-president. Sarah Peterman was chosen as secretary. Meredith Peterson
was chosen as treasurer.
The Best Buddies Program pairs people with intellectual disabilities in
one-to-one friendships with junior high and high school students. Best
Buddies provides students an opportunity to be a friend to a person with
intellectual disabilities.
Students involved in Menard’s chapter will meet with St. Mary’s residents
twice a month after school for one-hour intervals. Many fun and interesting
activities on St. Mary’s grounds are available for buddy use during this
time.
Through friendships, Best Buddies helps students who are not disabled see
and understand the value of those who are intellectually disabled-those who
are less fortunate than themselves. Students learn to recognize and
appreciate human differences and their perspective on others changes from
"what is different about someone who is less fortunate" to "how can I make a
difference in someone's life."
