A Tallahassee housing complex is partnering with the Best Buddies program to help give people with intellectual and developmental disabilities more opportunities for independent living.
Our story begins as many do in a university town like Tallahassee. Parents and their youngster checking out housing options. They’re touring The Standard, a fairly new 265-unit, 5-story complex at West Virginia Street and MLK, downtown.
The excursion moves out to the rooftop pool area.
Then past the various indoor recreation options and cozy study spaces.
Finally, the group moves into a four-bedroom, four-bath sample apartment.
It all seems pretty routine. But the student in this case is John Howard Baldino. He has a traumatic brain injury and has special requirements for his living space. He’s also a member of a support group called Best Buddies.
“I have 2 best buddies and I do the program with them. I go to the events every weekday whenever they have it. And I get emails from Best Buddies.”
The Standard is among the local housing providers that accommodate Best Buddies clients like Baldino.
“I like this Best Buddies living place! Just moving out and living on your own!” Baldino exclaimed as he admired the various amenities.
Emily Hunt, who is also among the group checking out The Standard apartments, is the vice president of programs for Best Buddies International.
“It really focuses on elevating the voices and abilities of people with and without disabilities. But specifically focusing on our friends with IDD and all facets of life.”
IDD stands for intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“We have a family program that starts at a very young age from diagnosis for some families. We go all the way through elementary school, middle school, high school, college, to having a job in the community to living your full independent life and also friendships as an adult, which can be challenging.”
Hunt says Baldino couldn’t be in a better community when it comes to being part of Best Buddies. The organization deliberately seeks housing partners close to colleges and universities. Those schools typically provide the largest numbers of volunteers to serve as Best Buddies for participants. Programs are active at Florida A&M University as well as FSU.
“The chapter at Florida State University is the largest chapter in the country. They have over 430 participants that are in their chapter. They do monthly events for people with and without disabilities on and off campus, to give our participants that friendship experience that they might not have. They’re going to do the same things that you and I would want to do with our friends, out with their buddy in the community.”
With all those local buddies close at hand, Baldino will only be alone when that’s his choice. Meanwhile, he can’t wait to get moved in and start cooking for his buddies.
