 
“I’ve been a friend to Brandy for 9 months. I’ll always remember the first day that we met. She had the biggest smile on her face. Brandy couldn’t wait to be my friend. We do things together every month, and while I’m thinking I’m helping her with something, she’s actually teaching me something. We’re pretty much like any two teenage friends: we talk about boys and love to go shopping. The Just Friends Program has definitely been one of the best things that I’ve been a part of.” – Jessica Sorenson,
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The Just Friends Program of Ollie Webb Center, Inc. is a peer mentoring and friendship program that matches teenagers with developmental disabilities (e.g., Down Syndrome, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, etc.) to teens without disabilities. Just Friends was created to bring social, recreational and friendship opportunities to individuals with disabilities. The opportunity to interact in ‘typical’ adolescent activities is few and far between for many adolescents with developmental disabilities who join Just Friends. Volunteer Mentors are asked to make a one year commitment in which they make weekly telephone or e-mail contact and hang out with their ‘friend’ twice a month by participating in social/recreational activities. This is a great opportunity for students who want to make a difference but have busy schedules, as Volunteer Mentors can plan their service hours around their school and extracurricular commitments. Volunteers also have the opportunity to mentor while doing activities they already enjoy such as bowling, going out to eat, attending sporting events, shopping, playing video games and going to the movies! A mentor’s main responsibility is to be a friend by serving as a positive role model, being actively involved in the other person’s interests and life experiences, planning and participating in activities together, building self-esteem and including their ‘friend’ in their life experiences. The goal of the Just Friends program is to create genuine friendships between adolescents with developmental disabilities and adolescents without disabilities where the two can offer acceptance and happiness to each other. For more information call (402) 346-5220 or visit www.olliewebbinc.org.
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