Best Buddies

Loree Verbeem and Tanya Milberg are Best Buddies. They chat about their new hair styles, play bingo, watch videos and paint together.

Loree teaches Tanya sign language. Tanya gives Loree manicures. Tanya 21, is a double honours student in geography and Spanish at the University of Western Ontario in London, ON. Loree, 36, has an intellectual disability.

Their camaraderie was facilitated through their local chapter of Best Buddies, a national program which matches university students one-on-one with adults who have intellectual disabilities.

Tanya volunteered at a centre for people with intellectual disabilities in her home town of Montreal, QC. When she learned about Best Buddies in London, she considered it a great opportunity and was thrilled at the idea of working with Loree. "The minute I met her, I thought, ’This is fantastic. This is what I really want to do,’" Tanya recalls enthusiastically.

The duo get together a couple of times a week during the academic year.

One of their outings, to see the movie Anastasia, was a real eye-opener for Tanya. Young kids, some accompanied by their parents, pointed, stared and laughed at Loree. Tanya was furious, but she took her cues from Loree. "She was really good about it. She really had a stiff upper lip and she kept her head up... I had never been exposed to that. I got home and bawled. I called my mother, I was so upset. I couldn’t believe it."

When Tanya went home for the summer last year the buddies kept in touch by phone and through care packages which Tanya sent to Loree." I missed her," says Tanya. "I thought about her so much."

Tanya says her relationship with Loree has gone beyond volunteer work. "I no longer view it as being a Best Buddy. I really enjoy spending time with Loree. I see so much strength in her."

"No," Loree teases when asked if she missed Tanya when she was away. Then her face lights up with an impish grin and dancing mischievous eyes as she rests her head on Tanya’s shoulder. "Right on, honey," Loree adds with a giggle.

"Loree’s so sassy," laughs Tanya. "She has a lot of attitude, but in a good way...She’s so feisty."

"This type of caring, enduring relationship is what Best Buddies is all about," says Best Buddies Canada’s Executive Director, Taru Virkamaki.

Best Buddies was founded in the United States by Anthony Kennedy Shriver in 1989. The first Canadian chapter was started by a group of enthusiastic students at York University in Toronto, ON.

There are now 32 chapters in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and most recently at the University of Saskatchewan.

All academic locations have a volunteer campus director and each community has a host location through an organization which provides services to people with intellectual disabilities.

In addition to making new friendships, student buddies also gain "wonderful volunteer experience," says Virkamaki.

Virkamaki says the benefits extend far beyond the program. "We teach students about bringing people together in our society. We’re really trying to get people connected... It’s a wonderful growth experience for both sides... if we can bridge some of these gaps in society... we’re moving ahead a lot."

For information on Best Buddies call (416) 967-9215 or 1-888-779-0061.

(Lynne Swanson is a writer who lives in London, Ontario.)