Best Buddies with Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa Hudgens pays a visit to Ocean Drive Magazine to promote the charity program Best Buddies on Friday in Miami Beach, Florida.

Best Buddies is a program that provides employment opportunities and one-to-one friendships for people with intellectual disabilities.

The 18-year-old High School Musical star and Best Buddies pal Pelayo Vigil shadowed an office assistant who works at Ocean Drive.

“I’m here today in Miami to support Best Buddies,” Vanessa told NBC6. “Best Buddies is an amazing organization that helps support people with mental disabilities. Today, it actually puts them in jobs, which is why I’m here at Ocean Drive. [Best Buddies] is an amazing program, you know. My manager is the person who actually developed it, and I found out about it and I thought it was an amazing organization. It’s really neat to reach out to people who are, like, fans, too. Just to be able to be a part of their lives is really neat.”

A Best Buddies gala and fundraiser, which will have a performance by Ciara, will be held Saturday night at Bicentennial Park.

25+ pictures inside of Best Buddies‘ Vanessa Hudgens…