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At MOD, we believe everyone should have an opportunity to make their mark. We work every day to create a world where acceptance and inclusivity aren’t just conscious thoughts, but actions that become second nature.

Approximately 81% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (or IDD) don’t have a paid job in their communities.* That’s where our partnership with Best Buddies comes in. They promote friendships, workplace opportunities, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with IDD.

The purpose of this poem and collection of spoken words is to celebrate our MOD squadders with IDD and to inspire a world where everyone, no matter their differences, is given an opportunity to grow, thrive, and, most importantly, belong.

*Source: National Core Indicators 

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Give me a world where everyone is welcome.Where every sign on every door says,Open, referring to the hearts inside.

Give me a world where all our stories matter. Where we know stories different from our own are the best kind.

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Give me a world where everyone clocks in to compassion, and everyone forgets to clock out.

Give me a world where no one apologizes for who they are. Where who they are is exactly what it’s all about.

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Give me a world where meals are more delicious when many kinds of people are offered up a chair.

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Give me a world where the cup that is half empty becomes full the moment that it’s shared.

Give me a world where there are no strangers, our open arms tattooed with the names of people we are yet to meet.

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Give me a world where I know I can go farther in the sidecar of your motorcycle than I can go alone, down any street.

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Give me a world that understands the heart is like a choir, the more voices inside of it, the more beautiful the song.

Give me a world where smiles stretch out like welcome mats. Each one saying—you belong, you belong.

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has a cat named Epic, which is fitting, because Jeff is epic too. He even has a pizza named after him, which makes him feel like a celebrity walking a red carpet of tomato sauce. When he hears someone order it, it’s as if he’s being asked for his autograph. Jeff loves sharing a piece of himself. Since learning he can nourish others, his proudest moment is every day. Jeff helps fold the boxes, grateful that at MOD, boxes are for pizzas, not people. And while the most challenging part of his morning is figuring out the bus schedule, he knows the route to all of our hearts, by heart.

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grew up on the South Side of Chicago, but if she could go anywhere she’d go to Japan, or to the ‘90s. Everyone in her MOD family agrees that the ‘90s was the best decade, because that’s the decade Jada was born. As a child, Jada dreamt of singing on the radio, of being a song no one could turn down. The high note of her day is waking up. Each morning she gives the sun a standing ovation especially when it’s hidden by the clouds. Jada knows what it is to not be seen even when you’re right there. But at MOD she is a firework, a nebula, a lighthouse, surprising no one but herself when crowned Employee of the Year by Best Buddies.

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loves horses, the grace with which they run towards instead of away. How their hearts weigh ten whole pounds and their tenderness cannot be tamed. Horses have the biggest eyes of any land animal, can see 360 degrees in every direction. Haley cherishes being seen. When she nailed her routine at the Paralympics ice skating competition, the crowd got so fired up it’s a miracle the ice didn’t melt. But of every victory Haley has ever known, making a new friend takes home the gold. If a smile is the best topping you can put on someone’s face, then every day at MOD, Haley wins first place.

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is an artist. She draws the best out of people. Knows everyone is a work of art. Everything she does, she wants to do beautifully. Even carves the ski slopes like a sculptor. When she swims her body is like a bristle moving through blue paint. Her favorite stroke is the brushstroke. At MOD, she helps make a masterpiece of each pizza, the dough rolling out into a canvas. Her favorite kind of art is the kind you don’t have to make alone. When asked what her inspiration is, she says it’s her mother, who taught her there can never be too much compassion on your palette.

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When was a kid he wanted to be a professional wrestler, maybe because he knew how much he’d have to tackle. But ever since the day he got his driver’s license, nothing can pin him down. Someday, Evan wants to go to Vegas, a place where everyone knows how it feels to have the odds stacked against them and still be certain they can win. To work with Evan is to hit the jackpot. It is to know you have the best hand in the whole house. Right before MOD’s doors open and his shift begins you should see Evan dance.

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No matter how you slice it, is a team-player, whether it’s making layups on the basketball court or pizzas at MOD. To be a champion, she knows, is to have a heart made of gold. She reminds us that what we build is important, but not nearly as important as building each other up. For Anya, judgment is never on the menu. Says her proudest moment is her high school diploma, friends cheering as graduation caps peppered the sky. Kindness is her favorite meal. Her favorite movies have fairytale endings, and time spent beside her turns happily ever after into something real.

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grew up dreaming of being a film director, wanting others to see how he sees the world the lens widening to bring more people into view. In the reel of his mind, everyone is worthy of a spotlight, every role is a lead role. The MOD Squadders don’t need a telescope to see: Michael is a Star. He loves stand-up comedy. The best punchlines are the ones where nobody gets hurt. The secret to a good sauce: All Laughter, No Hecklers. Michael’s favorite part of his job is being needed, it fills him with satisfaction. The show could not go on without him. Lights! Camera! Action!

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believes there is always more than meets the eye. Sees how many people have been overlooked. Admires forensic scientists who seek to find what others have missed. Pays close attention to the fingerprints left when people touch our lives. It’s evidence that we need each other. We knead the dough and wonder, what if we looked at those around us through microscopes? If we could inspect their joys and challenges in detail, up close? Eric says everyday at MOD is a breaking discovery. Everywhere he looks he finds friendship’s DNA. The day he found proof that no one can be replaced, he felt like he solved the world’s biggest case.

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remembers his dreams. His first was to become an actor. Acting is the art of learning what it is to be inside another person’s life, to walk their path, to feel their strife. When acting, you become someone different to understand how we are all, also, alike. At MOD, where the walls fall while the dough rises, Dimitri gets to be himself which is the role of a lifetime. His welcome is so warm some imagine it’s why the pizzas are hot. Dimitri serves up fun, inspiring others to bring more of who they are to the table. And it is never too much everyone wants seconds.

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is like a camera. She hopes you look at her and smile. She likes pesto in her pizza, but if she were head chefyou can bet she’d put sugar in every recipe. Sweetness, the main ingredient to a good life. Eden says the best advice she ever got was, ‘If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.’ Eden talks all of the time. Says her favorite childhood memory was helping her brother organize his music collection. How many people do you know whose favorite memory is helping their brother? If Eden could plant a forest, it would all be family trees.

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Give me a world where everyone is welcome.Where every sign on every door says, Open, referring to the hearts inside.

Give me a world where all our stories matter. Where we know stories different from our own are the best kind.

Give me a world where everyone clocks in to compassion, and everyone forgets to clock out.

Give me a world where no one apologizes for who they are. Where who they are is exactly what it’s all about.

Give me a world where meals are more delicious when many kinds of people are offered up a chair.

Give me a world where the cup that is half empty becomes full the moment that it’s shared.

Give me a world where there are no strangers, our open arms tattooed with the names of people we are yet to meet.

Give me a world where I know I can go farther in the sidecar of your motorcycle than I can go alone, down any street.

Give me a world that understands the heart is like a choir, the more voices inside of it, the more beautiful the song.

Give me a world where smiles stretch out like welcome mats. Each one saying—you belong, you belong.

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Best Buddies International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization 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 (IDD).

MOD exists to serve people. Our purpose is creating positive social impact in the lives of our employees and their communities. Welcome to MOD.