You’ve Got A Friend

As a child, Rick Colandreo’s police officer father inspired him to lend a helping hand to others whenever he could. Growing up, the Boca Raton resident took his father’s words to heart - but these days, it is more personal.

“My wife, Joan, and I had Michael, a special needs son in 2000,” he explains. Seeing his son’s challenges sparked his desire to help other special needs adults lead productive lives.

His mission is especially important because special needs students can only stay in school until the age of 22.  After that, they often face an uncertain future.

“After graduating from public school, depending on their level of disability, special needs individuals often sit at home because many cannot work and there is nowhere else for them to go,” he laments. 

“Part of my calling in life is to set up activity centers for these adults who need something to do,” says Colandreo, the CFO of Current Builders in Pompano Beach. In addition to his duties as CFO, he also has the lead role for the company’s charitable foundation which supports community causes and nonprofit fundraising for numerous regional charities.

The 57-year-old graduate of Atlantic High School and Florida Atlantic University is an ardent supporter of Best Buddies International, a nonprofit 501(c)(3)

organization, according to its website, “dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

This year, Colandreo will become a member of the Advisory Board of Directors for the Best Buddies Chapter of Palm Beach County – his two daughters, Audrey and Theresa, are also involved with the group. 

He hopes to expand the organization’s mission while working towards establishing a Best Buddies chapter in every school in Palm Beach County.  (Theresa helped start a Best Buddies program at her former middle school, Eagles Landing in Boca Raton, while a senior at Olympic Heights High School.) 

“It means so much for these kids to have a buddy. Someone they can have lunch with, walk to classes together and call on weekends. Hopefully these friendships will last forever,” he says.

For more information about Best Buddies, call 561-972-5312 or visit bestbuddies.org/florida.