What started as one mother’s desire to give her daughter opportunities to thrive in society despite her disabilities became the crusade of a woman determined to pull back the curtain on and be the voice for a community of individuals desperate to participate in the workforce.
The Unique Friends Foundation (TUFF) was formed in 2016. It's an organization focused on encouraging and empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to compete for their place in society. TUFF does this by connecting and coaching. We first connect and build relationships with our Unique Friends to understand their desires. Next, we offer soft skills and employment training and coaching to help manage their employment expectations.
In addition to working with the intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) community, we also strive to expose local community residents to the challenges of our Unique Friends. Through webinars and meetups, we share ways to become better champions and advocates.
Lastly, we educate employers about the untapped potential of our Unique Friends. Our vision is to start a movement to conquer the prejudices that plague the intellectually and developmentally disabled community, and we hope to start conversations that encourage the acceptance and empowerment of these individuals on a global level.
Since 2016, we have championed our clients. We’ve done so through community events and helping local church ministries. We’ve worked closely with local day habilitation programs and provided opportunities for our Unique Friends to showcase their skills with local business owners via our Quality Control Team.
We are currently working on an initiative that would serve as a resource for parents and caregivers of children and adults with special needs.
If you would like to support our mission and vision, your donations are welcome at www.paypal.me/tuffnonprofit.
For more information, visit our website at www.uniquefriends.org.