Best Buddies Illinois State Director - Eileen F. Murphy
Eileen F. Murphy, Best Buddies Illinois State Director
Background
Eileen Murphy is the State Director of Best Buddies Illinois (BBIL). She holds a BA in political science and social welfare from Antioch College and brings to the position more than 20 years of leadership experience in the non-profit field, most recently, as Vice President of Development at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Chicago and prior to that in the arts and film.
Why did you choose Best Buddies for employment?
Best Buddies is a life-changing experience for a person with an intellectual and/or developmental disability and for a person without a disability. It has changed and enriched my own life, more than I can express.
Vicki, the parent of a child, in our program, with an intellectual disability shared the following statement about the impact the program has made in her son’s life:
“For the last 7 years I have watched my son go through serious depression because he felt so lonely and isolated; he didn’t have any friends except his grandma and me to talk to, and now suddenly he has a Peer Buddy. Now he rushes through the door after school and tells me that kids are saying hi to him and he sat with this Peer Buddy at lunch. He has always had this empty space in his heart and now it’s getting filled. Please don’t ever think that what you are doing is no big deal, it’s so important and should be taken very seriously, you are all helping our kids feel like they belong and are worthwhile."
What does friendship mean to you?
If you're alone, I'll be your shadow. If you want a hug, I'll be your pillow. If you need to be happy, I'll be your smile. But when you need a friend, I'll just be me. Best Buddies and its’ unique programming brings the precious gift of friendship to countless individuals across the globe.
What are your goals for your state this year?
Currently serving over 5000 children and adults through six programs, BBIL has created a strategic expansion plan, the primary objective of which is to increase service capacity.
A key focus of this plan is expansion of programming in the City of Chicago and suburban counties.We intend to do the following:
Reach out to more Chicago Public high schools on the west and south sides of the City, ensuring extension of a proven model to urban youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities;
Expand Best Buddies Colleges through strategic partnership development with service clubs and faculty at Chicago colleges and universities;
Increase recruitment of corporate volunteers for Best Buddies Citizens Program;
Continue a targeted marketing campaign. Corporate, foundation and individual contributions provide the base upon which such programmatic expansion is possible.
