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Hi, my name is Normans Stanley and welcome to Disability World. Hello,
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and welcome to Disability World. I'm your host, Normous Stanley
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and Disability World. We share their information of interest and
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impact that ast community of people with disabilities, more than
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sixty one million people in the US alone, And we
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talk with leaders, community leaders, business owners, advocates, resource providers,
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and parents and individuals themselves who are part of this
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community and or making a positive difference. And we want
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to make sure that we are their stories and let
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them know how just amazing and you know, valuable and
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viable this community really is. I'm excited about today's guest.
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His name is Todd Herman. He's the vice president of
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development of an organization called Bobby Dot Institute better known
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as BDI, and they work with families of childdren with disabilities,
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primarily in the sixteen to twenty two aged group. And
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mister Herman is someone who's been a big assistance to
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the organization that I work with called show Ability. But
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he is someone who has a wealth of information and
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wealth of experience having to coming from the development space
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working with organizations like Muscular Distrophee and Association Habitat for
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Humanity and organizations like that. So he's been doing this
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many many years and have raised millions of dollars for
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many of these organizations. So help me welcome mister Todd Herman.
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Thank you so much, Normah, it's a pleasure to be
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with you and with the Disability World audience.
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Well, thank you. We appreciate you taking time.
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I know you're such a busy person.
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We really thank you for being a part of the
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show and just sharing people, you know, the information and
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some of the wisdom that you have as someone who's
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been doing this for a couple of decades. You know,
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the development space is such a challenging space for organizations,
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and you know, you know, show Ability is a small organization,
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Bobby Dodd is a little bit larger, but you know,
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having an understanding of how valuable and has significant that
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space is to help help the cause, help us do
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what we need to do because we have to raise
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the moneies. What is it that that led you to
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this aspect of marketing and development and you know, nonprofit?
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Why did you decide to get into this space?
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Well, as a product of two special education teachers, he
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truly started in the home. So my father left the
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classroom and actually worked for the New York State State
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Education Department really focused on the disability space, but it
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was his role was he called himself the complaint Department,
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So he would get calls from parents whose schools may
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not have been in compliance with ADA, and then he
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would also get calls from the schools where there might
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be an individual with a disability that was in danger
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of being expelled or was getting into or dealing with
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some trouble in the school. And so he had a
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territory in the state and he would drive around and
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take care of those circumstances. And my mother, she stayed
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in the classroom. So she taught in an inner city
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school in Syracuse, New York. And what she did as
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part of her philanthropic efforts was to find jobs for
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her students. So I remember her taking me to Caper
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Access station in Syracuse and one of her students was
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handling camera person duties and it was just so cool.
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And at that time, there were a lot of sheltered workshops.
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I'm glad that has evolved over time, but that's where
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it all started. And my grandfather was head of Catholic
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Charities of Central New York so just kind of raised
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in that environment.
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Yeah, that was definitely an environment. So I can see
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how that contributed to what you do and how you
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do it so well. You've been steeped in it for
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many a year. That's awesome. So you know, and that
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whole thing about the special education teachers, I mean, they
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are such so valuable to our communities. I don't think
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people realize how valuable they really are, you know, So
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that have an exposure to that aspect of it too.
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Seeing what your parents did sill gave you a heart
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for the community. And so what you're doing with BDI
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now because you've been there for what six or seven
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years now?
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Seven years? Seven years October.
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Okay, okay, And so you know you're bringing all that
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expertise on development. What is it about the development side
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that you liked it because you've been doing it for
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so many different companies.
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Wow, that is a loaded question. So there are so
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many things, you know. And I got my start in
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nonprofit fundraising, uh second job out of college, and really
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fell into it. So I'd been doing fundraisers, you know,
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throughout my throughout my high school years and into college.
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But that first job out of college was at a
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radio station, and what I did at that radio station
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in public relations was also help out nonprofits. They would
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have events, and Kenni ley, it was an ego boost,
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so I would I would put together commercials who call
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them liveliners at the time, where the j would read
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to the audience what was upcoming in the community. And
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then I'd show up with the prize van to some
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of these events and I would pass out free things
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and engage with the audience, and then I'd get a
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letter stating how much I helped raise, which was fantastic.
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So as I was contemplating what life was going to
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be like after radio, I was doing research and back
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in those days, I don't want to say when those
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days were, but back in my back in that time,
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TV was the mecca, you know, that was you made
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it from radio to TV. You were set. And I
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didn't want to base my career on the fickle interests
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of the listening or viewing public. So I really didn't
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want to go all in on programming. Yet the sales
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side of radio was a difficult place for me to
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see a career, and even more so with television. I
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just didn't see going into straight sales so I liked
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the public relations aspect, and the Muscular District fe Association
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had this little known program on Labor Day weekend featuring
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an iconic superstar, and I think, yeah, that would be
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really cool to work for the Muscular District Fee Association
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and to play whatever role I could in this TV
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programming that happened once a year for you know, twenty
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two and a half hours. And so I took a
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job with MDA into their entry level fundraising position, and
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you know, with time and with experience, I oversaw an office,
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then a region, than a division, then oversaw programs at
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the new national level, and from there took a job
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for another national nonprofit and then I decided to come
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local and I worked for an IT consultancy that was
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also a nonprofit here in Atlanta, and then BDI for
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the last seven years.
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And we both have a PR background, and you know,
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the non profit side was I was on the floor
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profit side. But the point is, it takes it takes creativity.
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I've never been the person with the fundraising. That's not me.
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I do the news cup part, sharing the stories. But
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but that is a gift that is a real talent.
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Really is a It's a skill that I never really
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quite developed. But I've always been in all of those
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who knew how to go out and raise the funds
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for the organizations. You know, we had a foundation when
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I was back at RB's that did some of that,
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and it was really fascinating the thing that we did.
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All you know, portion of it went to the foundation.
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I think it benefited Big brother and Big sisters at
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the time, but great it was. It was a great
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experience to do the the programming that helped to excite
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people to come out to the events that will help
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raise money for the organizations. But that wasn't my strong suit,
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not not the development side anyway. But so at Bobby
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Dodd Institute BDI as we all call it, the focus
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is between sixteen and twenty two. Why is that to
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help the sure So we have programs that cover really every.
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Age and stage of a person's person's excuse me, life's trajectory,
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but we focus in on that demographic that you spoke of,
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really that that's sixteen to twenty four, because that is
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when individuals star or their their parents care givers start
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to see what is coming next after time in grade school.
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So it truly is a transitional time, and we are
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believers in early intervention, you know, early education of the parents,
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caregivers and of let's say, students.
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Their kids.
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And letting them know what that transition is going to
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look like. And that's also to ask the questions, is
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it going to be a certification program, is it going
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to be college? Is it going to be a transitioned
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into the workforce? Is it none of the above? You know?
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But what are what are some of the aspirations, what
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are some of the hopes, what are what are some
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of the the the ideas of what the next step
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could look like, and what does the preparation look like.
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So has really honed in on that on that age group,
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because for people who have significant resources, they don't know
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what they don't know. They don't realize how much of
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a support system the school district or the private school
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has been until row until it's no longer there. And
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so we have found that that's a pivotal time for
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a person's maturity. It's also a pivotal time for the parents.
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They are of a certain age where they're thinking about, Okay,
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what might happen or what would life look like for
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my loved one when I no longer have maybe the
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resources physically financially that I do now, or I may
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be taking care of my parents, and what will that
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look like and how will we be able to balance
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the needs that we know now. And for a lot
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of individuals with disabilities, it's not just what the disability
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entails now, it's is it going to progress and what
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will that entail? So BDI is recognized that there was
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a tremendous gap in a lot of ways as far
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as helping people with independence, self sufficiency, and community inclusion,
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and so that that time frame is just so important
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to the family unit and to the individual.
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Absolutely. I know when I was going through that and
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see her as way older than your age bootroom now.
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But that was a challenge trying to because you know,
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the day programs as that she's in a day program now,
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I you know, there were no college and you know
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she's she's nonverbal as well as you know, cognitively challenged.
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But you know, I was looking for something that can
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continue her education because she's still learning and back then
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there was no such thing. And so it's you know,
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getting her in a day program and helping to teach
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the ones that she got into Okay, I don't want
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it to be a day care situation. I want her
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to be stimulated. You know, what can you do? You know,
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And some of these people are very good at that,
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and some of them are you know, they prefer to
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keep it into a day care for you know, situations.
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So it's a lot of education that needs to be
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done in some of those spaces also. But you're right,
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that is a very critical time for parents and the
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individuals to start thinking about what what future looks like,
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you know, and preparing for it. That is so so
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so key. And you help people get jobs.
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Too, right, Yes, yes, you know, we find that we
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really want to be a bridge so that individuals that
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age out of secondary schooling and that they don't graduate
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to four walls or some people say, graduate to the couch.
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But we want to make sure that they're well aware
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of the options, but also be a connector you know,
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a trusted navigator to navigate the whole family unit to
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those resources that are available, you know, helping people get
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to attached to the state services that are out there,
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because if you're not connected, it doesn't matter what kind
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of means you have, you can't buy your way you have,
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whether it's the now comp waiver, whether it's the knowledge
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of the organizations that are out there in the services
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that people are eligible for. So at BDI, we are
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trying to determine what the village entails, what resources are
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going to be needed, and to make sure that there's
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a roadmap for people.
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That's awesome. It's the strangest thing I talk about all
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the time on this show that you know, my daughter
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is almost forty and some of the same challenges I
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met when she was a little girl. Some of some
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of the things I never knew existed, like the now waiver.
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I didn't know about resident until she was fourteen almost eighteen. Actually, yeah,
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between fourteen eighteen I found out about it. There's so
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much I didn't know, and I'm finding some of the
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parents that still don't know. Something is something is happening
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that as many organizations, there's something not connecting with the
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parents who need to know. I'm not finding out what
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they need to know. In many cases, I don't understand it.
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But I'm hoping between the bd I and the work
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that I do, and you know, some of the organizations
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that out here trying to make it happen and who
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are diligent about it can fill that gapack you say,
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because it's it really is critical. And you know some
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of these parents are you know that they're they don't
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know what to do. I get on Facebook and some
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of these organizations that are on Facebook and the questions
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they're asking, you know, can the help. It's like there
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should be somebody in your space as old as your
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child is at this point who has shared that information,
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whether it's somewhere I mean within the network, and so
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helping people develop that network. Also, because I do know
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there's a thing that we tend to as parents. I
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know I did it. We just kind of keep ourselves
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closed off for whatever reason. We don't think anybody understands,
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and we don't ask the right questions or we just
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don't want the attention that we think it might bring
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many different variables. But you know, again, hopefully the work
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that you're trying to do with DBI B D I,
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the work and show abilities try to do with the
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music and the talent and the artists, the people who
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have performing artists abilities, the work I'm trying to do
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as a journalists and and and you know, mother of
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you know, someone who I want to see make sure
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how she has the best life possible and hope to
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help other moms and parents to not be afraid to
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let their children express themselves in whatever manner. My daughter models,
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you know, in whatever manner, because again some of them,
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they keep their children away from being active in the community,
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and that that sometimes troubles me. But tell us you
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have some things coming up, because we only have a
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few minutes left, and I want to hear all about
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breakfast or Champions.
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Yeah, absolutely so. B d I has one, uh one
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major event a year, and as you mentioned, it's Breakfast
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with Champions. It really has become a reunion of sorts
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for a lot of our key stakeholders, but also an
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invitation to the community to come see the impact that
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not only our services by services are having in the community,
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but also to get to know some of those companies,
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some of those individuals that are making a difference in
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this space. So we highlight usually an individual that we've
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placed into employment that is just flourishing and is accomplishing
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things in their own right, or we usually identify an
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advocate who doesn't necessarily have to be somebody who has
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utilized BDI services, but is moving the Bobby Dodd Institute's
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mission forward in their own in their own capacity, and
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in their own way. And then we like to shine
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the spotlight on a company that is actively making a
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difference in an employment of those with disabilities. And so
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we have our luminaries, and then we invite companies and
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individuals to honor them and be a part of just
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it is the most inspiring morning.
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You know.
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We are very we are very orthodox in starting on
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time and ending on time. We get people out of
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there by no later than nine point thirty. We're respectful
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of people's days and also what it takes to get
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anywhere in Atlanta at eight or so in the morning.
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But it is. It is emceed by Fox five is
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Russ Spencer and he's done a great job for us.
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And we have a number of corporate supporters. First A.
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Rison has been presenting sponsor for a number of years now.
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But we put together this event that then is attended
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by three hundred plus people. But it's the stories, it's
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the it's the impact, it's the celebration of the accomplishments
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that makes it such a special warning.
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It is such a great event. I've been a few
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times and the celebration, I mean, people are like pumped
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at that event and the parents that the companies, everybody
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is having a great time, and it's I mean hearing
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those stories also, you know, the accomplishments and achievements of
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the people with disabilities as well as those who are
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providers of services and the companies and all the things
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that people are doing. It is a great, great event.
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So I look forward to being a part of it
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in some capacity coming up in with the.
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Day March, right, normal people can pume an attend in
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person on March nineteenth that the cop Energy Center, but
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they can also join us via live stream, so we did.
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We started that last year because we've recognized that you
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could be traveling an hour to go ten miles at
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that time in the city, and it's we have availability
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for people to join us at this point. People can
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find Breakfast Champions on our website at Bobbydodd dot orrchi
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and the whole morning kicks off with a wonderful performance
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by the Inclusive Chorus at show Ability. So we're just
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so excited.
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Well, we are looking forward to participating. I know Murner's
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getting us ready for that, so but yeah, thank you.
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I look forward to participating in this year's event as
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part of show abilities and inclusive course, but just you know,
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just being able to be there. It's really is the
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wonderful eves. I encourage our viewers to come out and
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check it out, you know, whether virtually or in person,
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it is something as well worth your time and effort
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and to see the impact this organization is making. So
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if people want to reach out and learn more about
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b d I in general, where do they go?
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For one, our our website, which I did mention Bobby
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dot dot org, but also just send us a quick
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email at info at bobbydot dot org on any question
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about our services, about planning, putting together that roadmap, about
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our different programs, volunteer opportunities, you name it.
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Great. Great, that's all.
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The social media channels too, sorry.
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Yeah, yeah, everywhere the media and it's b d I, right,
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b d I, b d I. Okay, great, Well that's
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unfortunately we've been our time. I hate it goes so quickly,
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and you know, we have a great conversation. But thank
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you so much for being a part of disability world
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today and we look forward to seeing you soon and
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you know, following you the work of BDI as you
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do what you do, and much success to for twenty
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twenty six to what you're trying to accomplish, whatever those
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goals are. We pray that it all comes to fruition
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for you.
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Thank you, Norma, and thank you so much for what
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you do and how you're so supportive of the community.
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And we'll talk about this, this creativity because we have
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plenty of it.
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Thank you so much, and we'll be talking soon.
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All right, thank you, be blessed.
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Okay, it was great speaking with mister Todd Herman today.
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You know, bdi's has been an organization that's been a
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big part of my life as I was raising my
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daughter for many many years, and so I'm very thankful
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for the work and the impact they've had on my family,
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and so I'm very excited about, you know, the fact
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that I can help out in any way, even you know,
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as part of the inclusive course that we do. So again,
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thank you for joining in to our show this week.
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We have some great shows coming up, so we look
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forward to bringing you some more interesting guests from the community,
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business owners, community leaders, individuals who are doing some great
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things that you may not hear about in traditional media,
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so we look forward to bringing all those types of
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people and stories to you as we move forward on
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Disability World, And until next time, please be blessed.
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Hi, my name is Normans Stanley and welcome to Disability World. Hello,
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and welcome to Disability World. I'm your host, Normous Stanley
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and Disability World. We share their information of interest and
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impact that ast community of people with disabilities, more than
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sixty one million people in the US alone, And we
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talk with leaders, community leaders, business owners, advocates, resource providers,
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and parents and individuals themselves who are part of this
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community and or making a positive difference. And we want
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to make sure that we are their stories and let
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them know how just amazing and you know, valuable and
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viable this community really is. I'm excited about today's guest.
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His name is Todd Herman. He's the vice president of
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development of an organization called Bobby Dot Institute better known
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as BDI, and they work with families of childdren with disabilities,
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primarily in the sixteen to twenty two aged group. And
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mister Herman is someone who's been a big assistance to
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the organization that I work with called show Ability. But
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he is someone who has a wealth of information and
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wealth of experience having to coming from the development space
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working with organizations like Muscular Distrophee and Association Habitat for
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Humanity and organizations like that. So he's been doing this
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many many years and have raised millions of dollars for
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many of these organizations. So help me welcome mister Todd Herman.
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Thank you so much, Normah, it's a pleasure to be
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with you and with the Disability World audience.
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Well, thank you. We appreciate you taking time.
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I know you're such a busy person.
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We really thank you for being a part of the
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show and just sharing people, you know, the information and
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some of the wisdom that you have as someone who's
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been doing this for a couple of decades. You know,
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the development space is such a challenging space for organizations,
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and you know, you know, show Ability is a small organization,
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Bobby Dodd is a little bit larger, but you know,
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having an understanding of how valuable and has significant that
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space is to help help the cause, help us do
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what we need to do because we have to raise
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the moneies. What is it that that led you to
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this aspect of marketing and development and you know, nonprofit?
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Why did you decide to get into this space?
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Well, as a product of two special education teachers, he
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truly started in the home. So my father left the
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classroom and actually worked for the New York State State
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Education Department really focused on the disability space, but it
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was his role was he called himself the complaint Department,
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So he would get calls from parents whose schools may
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not have been in compliance with ADA, and then he
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would also get calls from the schools where there might
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be an individual with a disability that was in danger
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of being expelled or was getting into or dealing with
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some trouble in the school. And so he had a
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territory in the state and he would drive around and
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take care of those circumstances. And my mother, she stayed
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in the classroom. So she taught in an inner city
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school in Syracuse, New York. And what she did as
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part of her philanthropic efforts was to find jobs for
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her students. So I remember her taking me to Caper
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Access station in Syracuse and one of her students was
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handling camera person duties and it was just so cool.
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And at that time, there were a lot of sheltered workshops.
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I'm glad that has evolved over time, but that's where
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it all started. And my grandfather was head of Catholic
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Charities of Central New York so just kind of raised
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in that environment.
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Yeah, that was definitely an environment. So I can see
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how that contributed to what you do and how you
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do it so well. You've been steeped in it for
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many a year. That's awesome. So you know, and that
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whole thing about the special education teachers, I mean, they
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are such so valuable to our communities. I don't think
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people realize how valuable they really are, you know, So
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that have an exposure to that aspect of it too.
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Seeing what your parents did sill gave you a heart
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for the community. And so what you're doing with BDI
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now because you've been there for what six or seven
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years now?
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Seven years? Seven years October.
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Okay, okay, And so you know you're bringing all that
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expertise on development. What is it about the development side
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that you liked it because you've been doing it for
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so many different companies.
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Wow, that is a loaded question. So there are so
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many things, you know. And I got my start in
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nonprofit fundraising, uh second job out of college, and really
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fell into it. So I'd been doing fundraisers, you know,
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throughout my throughout my high school years and into college.
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But that first job out of college was at a
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radio station, and what I did at that radio station
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in public relations was also help out nonprofits. They would
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have events, and Kenni ley, it was an ego boost,
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so I would I would put together commercials who call
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them liveliners at the time, where the j would read
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to the audience what was upcoming in the community. And
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then I'd show up with the prize van to some
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of these events and I would pass out free things
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and engage with the audience, and then I'd get a
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letter stating how much I helped raise, which was fantastic.
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So as I was contemplating what life was going to
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be like after radio, I was doing research and back
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in those days, I don't want to say when those
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days were, but back in my back in that time,
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TV was the mecca, you know, that was you made
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it from radio to TV. You were set. And I
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didn't want to base my career on the fickle interests
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of the listening or viewing public. So I really didn't
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want to go all in on programming. Yet the sales
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side of radio was a difficult place for me to
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see a career, and even more so with television. I
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just didn't see going into straight sales so I liked
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the public relations aspect, and the Muscular District fe Association
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had this little known program on Labor Day weekend featuring
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an iconic superstar, and I think, yeah, that would be
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really cool to work for the Muscular District Fee Association
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and to play whatever role I could in this TV
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programming that happened once a year for you know, twenty
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two and a half hours. And so I took a
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job with MDA into their entry level fundraising position, and
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you know, with time and with experience, I oversaw an office,
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then a region, than a division, then oversaw programs at
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the new national level, and from there took a job
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for another national nonprofit and then I decided to come
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local and I worked for an IT consultancy that was
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also a nonprofit here in Atlanta, and then BDI for
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the last seven years.
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And we both have a PR background, and you know,
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the non profit side was I was on the floor
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profit side. But the point is, it takes it takes creativity.
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I've never been the person with the fundraising. That's not me.
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I do the news cup part, sharing the stories. But
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but that is a gift that is a real talent.
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Really is a It's a skill that I never really
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quite developed. But I've always been in all of those
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who knew how to go out and raise the funds
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for the organizations. You know, we had a foundation when
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I was back at RB's that did some of that,
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and it was really fascinating the thing that we did.
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All you know, portion of it went to the foundation.
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I think it benefited Big brother and Big sisters at
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the time, but great it was. It was a great
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experience to do the the programming that helped to excite
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people to come out to the events that will help
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raise money for the organizations. But that wasn't my strong suit,
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not not the development side anyway. But so at Bobby
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Dodd Institute BDI as we all call it, the focus
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is between sixteen and twenty two. Why is that to
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help the sure So we have programs that cover really every.
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Age and stage of a person's person's excuse me, life's trajectory,
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but we focus in on that demographic that you spoke of,
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really that that's sixteen to twenty four, because that is
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when individuals star or their their parents care givers start
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to see what is coming next after time in grade school.
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So it truly is a transitional time, and we are
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believers in early intervention, you know, early education of the parents,
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caregivers and of let's say, students.
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Their kids.
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And letting them know what that transition is going to
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look like. And that's also to ask the questions, is
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it going to be a certification program, is it going
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to be college? Is it going to be a transitioned
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into the workforce? Is it none of the above? You know?
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But what are what are some of the aspirations, what
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are some of the hopes, what are what are some
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of the the the ideas of what the next step
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could look like, and what does the preparation look like.
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So has really honed in on that on that age group,
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because for people who have significant resources, they don't know
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what they don't know. They don't realize how much of
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a support system the school district or the private school
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has been until row until it's no longer there. And
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so we have found that that's a pivotal time for
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a person's maturity. It's also a pivotal time for the parents.
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They are of a certain age where they're thinking about, Okay,
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what might happen or what would life look like for
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my loved one when I no longer have maybe the
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resources physically financially that I do now, or I may
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be taking care of my parents, and what will that
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look like and how will we be able to balance
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the needs that we know now. And for a lot
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of individuals with disabilities, it's not just what the disability
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entails now, it's is it going to progress and what
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will that entail? So BDI is recognized that there was
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a tremendous gap in a lot of ways as far
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as helping people with independence, self sufficiency, and community inclusion,
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and so that that time frame is just so important
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to the family unit and to the individual.
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Absolutely. I know when I was going through that and
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see her as way older than your age bootroom now.
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But that was a challenge trying to because you know,
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the day programs as that she's in a day program now,
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I you know, there were no college and you know
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she's she's nonverbal as well as you know, cognitively challenged.
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But you know, I was looking for something that can
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continue her education because she's still learning and back then
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there was no such thing. And so it's you know,
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getting her in a day program and helping to teach
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the ones that she got into Okay, I don't want
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it to be a day care situation. I want her
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to be stimulated. You know, what can you do? You know,
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And some of these people are very good at that,
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and some of them are you know, they prefer to
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keep it into a day care for you know, situations.
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So it's a lot of education that needs to be
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done in some of those spaces also. But you're right,
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that is a very critical time for parents and the
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individuals to start thinking about what what future looks like,
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you know, and preparing for it. That is so so
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so key. And you help people get jobs.
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Too, right, Yes, yes, you know, we find that we
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really want to be a bridge so that individuals that
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age out of secondary schooling and that they don't graduate
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to four walls or some people say, graduate to the couch.
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But we want to make sure that they're well aware
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of the options, but also be a connector you know,
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a trusted navigator to navigate the whole family unit to
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those resources that are available, you know, helping people get
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to attached to the state services that are out there,
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because if you're not connected, it doesn't matter what kind
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of means you have, you can't buy your way you have,
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whether it's the now comp waiver, whether it's the knowledge
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of the organizations that are out there in the services
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that people are eligible for. So at BDI, we are
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trying to determine what the village entails, what resources are
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going to be needed, and to make sure that there's
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a roadmap for people.
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That's awesome. It's the strangest thing I talk about all
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the time on this show that you know, my daughter
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is almost forty and some of the same challenges I
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met when she was a little girl. Some of some
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of the things I never knew existed, like the now waiver.
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I didn't know about resident until she was fourteen almost eighteen. Actually, yeah,
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between fourteen eighteen I found out about it. There's so
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much I didn't know, and I'm finding some of the
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parents that still don't know. Something is something is happening
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that as many organizations, there's something not connecting with the
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parents who need to know. I'm not finding out what
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they need to know. In many cases, I don't understand it.
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But I'm hoping between the bd I and the work
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that I do, and you know, some of the organizations
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that out here trying to make it happen and who
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are diligent about it can fill that gapack you say,
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because it's it really is critical. And you know some
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of these parents are you know that they're they don't
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know what to do. I get on Facebook and some
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of these organizations that are on Facebook and the questions
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they're asking, you know, can the help. It's like there
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should be somebody in your space as old as your
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child is at this point who has shared that information,
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whether it's somewhere I mean within the network, and so
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helping people develop that network. Also, because I do know
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there's a thing that we tend to as parents. I
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know I did it. We just kind of keep ourselves
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closed off for whatever reason. We don't think anybody understands,
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and we don't ask the right questions or we just
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don't want the attention that we think it might bring
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many different variables. But you know, again, hopefully the work
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that you're trying to do with DBI B D I,
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the work and show abilities try to do with the
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music and the talent and the artists, the people who
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have performing artists abilities, the work I'm trying to do
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as a journalists and and and you know, mother of
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you know, someone who I want to see make sure
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how she has the best life possible and hope to
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help other moms and parents to not be afraid to
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let their children express themselves in whatever manner. My daughter models,
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you know, in whatever manner, because again some of them,
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they keep their children away from being active in the community,
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and that that sometimes troubles me. But tell us you
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have some things coming up, because we only have a
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few minutes left, and I want to hear all about
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breakfast or Champions.
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Yeah, absolutely so. B d I has one, uh one
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major event a year, and as you mentioned, it's Breakfast
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with Champions. It really has become a reunion of sorts
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for a lot of our key stakeholders, but also an
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invitation to the community to come see the impact that
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not only our services by services are having in the community,
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but also to get to know some of those companies,
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some of those individuals that are making a difference in
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this space. So we highlight usually an individual that we've
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placed into employment that is just flourishing and is accomplishing
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things in their own right, or we usually identify an
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advocate who doesn't necessarily have to be somebody who has
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utilized BDI services, but is moving the Bobby Dodd Institute's
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mission forward in their own in their own capacity, and
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in their own way. And then we like to shine
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the spotlight on a company that is actively making a
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difference in an employment of those with disabilities. And so
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we have our luminaries, and then we invite companies and
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individuals to honor them and be a part of just
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it is the most inspiring morning.
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You know.
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We are very we are very orthodox in starting on
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time and ending on time. We get people out of
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there by no later than nine point thirty. We're respectful
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of people's days and also what it takes to get
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anywhere in Atlanta at eight or so in the morning.
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But it is. It is emceed by Fox five is
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Russ Spencer and he's done a great job for us.
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And we have a number of corporate supporters. First A.
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Rison has been presenting sponsor for a number of years now.
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But we put together this event that then is attended
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by three hundred plus people. But it's the stories, it's
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the it's the impact, it's the celebration of the accomplishments
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that makes it such a special warning.
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It is such a great event. I've been a few
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times and the celebration, I mean, people are like pumped
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at that event and the parents that the companies, everybody
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is having a great time, and it's I mean hearing
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those stories also, you know, the accomplishments and achievements of
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the people with disabilities as well as those who are
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providers of services and the companies and all the things
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that people are doing. It is a great, great event.
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So I look forward to being a part of it
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in some capacity coming up in with the.
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Day March, right, normal people can pume an attend in
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person on March nineteenth that the cop Energy Center, but
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they can also join us via live stream, so we did.
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We started that last year because we've recognized that you
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could be traveling an hour to go ten miles at
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that time in the city, and it's we have availability
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for people to join us at this point. People can
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find Breakfast Champions on our website at Bobbydodd dot orrchi
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and the whole morning kicks off with a wonderful performance
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by the Inclusive Chorus at show Ability. So we're just
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so excited.
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Well, we are looking forward to participating. I know Murner's
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getting us ready for that, so but yeah, thank you.
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I look forward to participating in this year's event as
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part of show abilities and inclusive course, but just you know,
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just being able to be there. It's really is the
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wonderful eves. I encourage our viewers to come out and
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check it out, you know, whether virtually or in person,
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it is something as well worth your time and effort
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and to see the impact this organization is making. So
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if people want to reach out and learn more about
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b d I in general, where do they go?
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For one, our our website, which I did mention Bobby
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dot dot org, but also just send us a quick
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email at info at bobbydot dot org on any question
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about our services, about planning, putting together that roadmap, about
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our different programs, volunteer opportunities, you name it.
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Great. Great, that's all.
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The social media channels too, sorry.
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Yeah, yeah, everywhere the media and it's b d I, right,
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b d I, b d I. Okay, great, Well that's
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unfortunately we've been our time. I hate it goes so quickly,
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and you know, we have a great conversation. But thank
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you so much for being a part of disability world
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today and we look forward to seeing you soon and
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you know, following you the work of BDI as you
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do what you do, and much success to for twenty
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twenty six to what you're trying to accomplish, whatever those
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goals are. We pray that it all comes to fruition
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for you.
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Thank you, Norma, and thank you so much for what
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you do and how you're so supportive of the community.
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And we'll talk about this, this creativity because we have
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plenty of it.
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Thank you so much, and we'll be talking soon.
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All right, thank you, be blessed.
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Okay, it was great speaking with mister Todd Herman today.
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You know, bdi's has been an organization that's been a
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big part of my life as I was raising my
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daughter for many many years, and so I'm very thankful
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for the work and the impact they've had on my family,
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and so I'm very excited about, you know, the fact
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that I can help out in any way, even you know,
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as part of the inclusive course that we do. So again,
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thank you for joining in to our show this week.
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We have some great shows coming up, so we look
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forward to bringing you some more interesting guests from the community,
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business owners, community leaders, individuals who are doing some great
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things that you may not hear about in traditional media,
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so we look forward to bringing all those types of
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people and stories to you as we move forward on
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Disability World, And until next time, please be blessed.
