Friend in Me is a social group connecting kids with disabilities and neurotypical
student volunteers through free, fun online games and conversations via
Zoom on a one-to-one basis every week. Buddies are paired up before each Zoom.
On the Zooms, buddies are put into individual breakout rooms where they
talk and play games for around 45 minutes. Sometimes buddies just hang out
and talk or share an activity together such as an art project. The program is able
to accommodate kids with a wide range of abilities and diagnoses and parents/aides
are welcome to facilitate the interaction if necessary. Scheduling is flexible and is
done every week so kids can change their times whenever they want.
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Sophia joined Friend in Me’s leadership team this in late 2023. She is the primary point of contact for participants and their families as well as volunteers. Sophia also manages the day to day administrative tasks. She hopes to grow the program while to meeting new people and making new friends!
Ariana joined Friend in Me’s management team in 2023 and started off as a bi-weekly session host. She is now the volunteer trainer. She has met many new wonderful friends through the service and looks forward to meeting more in the future. She has loved watching buddies and volunteers learn more about friendship and its many forms.
Emily joined Friend in Me's leadership team last year but has been a volunteer for many months. She loves talking to new buddies and hosting sessions. She says her Fridays and weekends feel incomplete without Friend in Me, and she hopes to connect with more wonderful friends across the community, and she looks forward to helping others make those connections as well.
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Julia co-founded Friend in Me with her brother Drew in 2020 after she saw how hard it was for her younger brother Troy to socialize with neurotypical students. She loved connecting with all the kids she met through Friend in Me and growing the organization from the ground up. Since graduating high school, Julia stays involved as an advisor.
Xin joined Friend in Me’s management team in 2022 but has been a volunteer since its founding. She co-ran Friend in Me until early 2024.
Griffin was recruited to join the leadership team for Friend in Me in 2024. In his role on the team, he helps organize weekly sessions and leads some of the managerial aspects of the program. He hopes to help grow the organization to new heights. He looks forward to helping Friend in Me make a positive impact by continuing the effort to forge connections and friendships through the program.
Elle joined Friend in Me’s management team in 2024 but has been a volunteer since 2022. She has met many new friends through our sessions and has loved watching new friendships grow. She looks forward to continuing being a part of this program and helping build new friendships.
Nina joined Friend in Me’s management team in 2023 and leads weekly Zoom sessions. She has made a lot of friends and learned to be more social throughout this program. She loves to see friendships foster between buddies and volunteers. It’s always rewarding to see them leave the session with a huge smile on their face! She is excited to remain an integral part of Friend in Me and to spark more friendships in this wonderful community!
Bradley joined Friend in Me in 2022 and hosts meetings weekly. He enjoys hosting the sessions and meeting new people. He aspires to create a positive and inclusive environment while ensuring that each session runs smoothly. He strives to keep being a part of this lovely community and is excited to meet more people!
Drew co-founded Friend in Me with his sister Julia in 2020 in order to help his twin brother Troy find new friends. He also leads Friend in Me's international expansion efforts (Angeti). He loves hanging out with all of his buddies on Friend in Me and building out the service.
Absolutely! We try to pair individuals who we think would be good buddies, but please let us know if you want a specific person.
Yes! You can sign up for any available slots.
If your buddy is late, we will keep you in the waiting room until he/she arrives. If he/she is unable to join after 10 minutes, we will try to pair you with somebody else.
If you can't make it to a Zoom you are already signed up for, we request that you let us know a minimum of 24 hours in advance so we can find another buddy to replace you.
We do our best to keep buddies together every week. However, scheduling conflicts may force us to switch them around. If you are signed up for more than one Zoom on a particular week, you are most likely not going to get the same buddy every day.
We welcome anyone from ages 8 to 18.
“The best thing about the pandemic was that we found Friend in Me. It’s the highlight of my son’s week to meet his buddies on Zoom. He looks forward to it every weekend and really feels like he belongs there.”
“The best part about Friend in Me is meeting all kinds of interesting kids. I also like that I can change my volunteering schedule whenever I need to.”
“Before Friend in Me, my son did not have a single friend in his entire life. We are so grateful for this kind community. Thank you for everything you do.”
“Everyone at Friend in Me is really nice and it’s a rewarding way to volunteer.”
“I love meeting everyone on Friend in Me. The people are nice and the games are fun.”
“It’s fun to join Friend in Me, even though I’ve never lost at chess so much in my life!”
"Friend in Me is a wonderful program. My son really enjoys the sessions, and looks forward to it. He always has a great time. He got to meet a lot of amazing friends. The people who run sessions are very accommodating. I highly recommend Friend in Me for anyone"
"If you're really passionate about helping people, making friends, and building connections, this is a good opportunity to do that. It's good to build connects with people that are different from you"
If you have any questions about Angeti or how to get involved, please contact
angesduciel7@gmail.comFollow our instagram
or send a whatsapp message
@friendinme.groupOur Privacy PolicyTerms of UsePlease donate here if you’d like to help fund the operations of Friend in Me. We use these funds to pay for our Zoom account, marketing and corporate filings.
GoFundMePlease donate here if you’d like to help fund the operations for our new service called "Angeti." We have partnered with a non-profit organization based in Cameroon, Africa called Fondation Les Anges du Ciel to launch this service in Africa and they will act as our managing partner in the territory. We are deeply moved by the plight of kids with disabilities in this area of the world. Neurodiverse children are often believed by their communities to be possessed by the devil or the product of witchcraft. (See articles below.) As a result, many parents of kids with disabilities hide them away at home and do not send them to school. We hope that our service can make a difference for these kids who have no means to socialize or find friends. Funds will go toward the costs of marketing, internet service, devices and equipment, training, and stipends for volunteers.
GoFundMeTo learn more about the challenges faced by children with disabilities in Cameroon and the positive impact of education efforts, we encourage you to read the following articles:
Article 1: Cameroon Advocates Education for Children with AutismArticle 2: Africa: Cameroon Aid Groups Try to Get Neglected Autistic Children Back to SchoolGoFundMe