Hassan Celebrates Opening of Best Buddies NH Office

This month, Gov. Maggie Hassan celebrated the opening of Best Buddies New Hampshire’s statewide office by issuing a proclamation in honor of the nonprofit agency, which helps develop friendships between people with and without disabilities all across the Granite State.

Following years of planning and fundraising, Best Buddies New Hampshire opened its statewide office in January. In the months since, the office, located in downtown Concord, has helped Best Buddies launch new chapters, creating opportunities for friendships in middle schools, high schools and colleges around the state. 

“… There are more than 250 million individuals around the world with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” Hassan said Tuesday, April 8, during a ceremony at the Statehouse with dozens of Best Buddies volunteers and families. “… Best Buddies’ mission of inclusion and friendship changes the world, one friendship at a time.”

For three years, volunteers for Best Buddies New Hampshire have worked to raise awareness and money to open a statewide office and create new chapters in schools across the Granite State. Since opening the office in January, the agency, which previously had chapters at Londonderry High School, Dartmouth College, the University of New Hampshire and Phillips Exeter Academy, has expanded to Bow High School, among other schools.

“Through our statewide office, Best Buddies has already impacted the lives of hundreds of new students and family members across New Hampshire,” said Sarra Dennehy, the agency’s State Director. “We are so appreciate of Gov. Hassan’s support, and we look forward to continuing to work with her to help empower and create new friendships all across the Granite State.”

The Best Buddies office, located at located at 5 Franklin St., is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Staff members can be reached at 603-856-8324603-856-8324 or atnewhampshire@bestbuddies.org. On Saturday, June 7, Best Buddies New Hampshire will hold its third annual Friendship Walk in Concord. More information is available at bestbuddes.org/newhampshire.

Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). With nearly 1,500 middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide, Best Buddies touches the lives of nearly one million people with and without intellectual disabilities. As a result of their involvement with Best Buddies, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities secure rewarding jobs, gain an opportunity to live independently, become inspirational leaders, and make lifelong friendships.

Submitted by Best Buddies.