Ways Of Giving Back To Your Community

Helping or giving is the most satisfying thing in the world, and even more so when individuals realize that they can help to change someone else’s life. But does generosity originate from the heart, or does it have hopes of getting something in exchange? Giving can come in several ways, not so much from giving money. People can give back by giving blood, donating organs, spend time through volunteering, and so much more. Some say that money buys freedom and happiness, but people experience more joy when the money is given to an individual in need.

That is why a woman named Linda Bergendahl-Pauling and Franks Shankwitz had the vision to develop a foundation to create life-changing wishes for children. That foundation is the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

This foundation is one of the most sincere and inspirational non-profit organizations we know about. They represent something so pure, and they have only one goal, the fulfillment of the wish of children who are terminally ill.

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They strive to give them a sense of hope and ease, honestly hoping to be kind and to make a wish come true that would most likely not be conceivable in any other way. The Make-A-Wish Foundation began in 1980, and until today it has enhanced the lives of children with life-threatening illnesses through its desire to provide work. It was established by two Arizona Public Safety Officers after U.S. Customs Officer Tommy Austin informed them of the state of health of his son who was suffering from a fatal stage of leukemia.

The foundation was named after a boy named Chris Greicius who realized he wanted to be a police officer and couldn’t. Tommy’s son had wished to be like his father and “catch bad guys” someday (wish.org). Running into bureaucratic hesitation at Customs, Austin asks Cox if maybe DPS can do something. “I’ll rent a helicopter myself if I have to,” Austin says (wish.org). Cox then sends a proposal to DPS representative Allan Schmidt, who asks DPS Director Ralph Milstead. He gives Schmidt the go-ahead to grant Chris his wish. Suddenly Austin gets a call from Chris' mother stating she doesn't think he's going to be able to hold on much longer. On April 29, Chris came from the hospital to an empty lot by DPS. Chris and his parents were giving a tour of the station. Chris was then presented with a hat and an old badge from LT. Col Dick Schaefer. Chris became Arizona’s first and only honorary DPS officer. In addition, the DPS had managed to have a personalized uniform made for Chris. Frank Shankwitz and some other officers set up a course so Chris could earn his motorcycle officer wings. The next day the officers went to present Chris with his wings when they found out he had gone back into the hospital. With his DPS gifts surrounding him, holding on to his wings, Chris gave a final grin to the people who have done so much for him in such a short period. He passed shortly after on May 3. Frank Shankwitz and Scott Stahl flew to Chicago to be in a full officers' funeral for Chris. When traveling home, Stahl and Shankwitz talked about the impact the boy's wish seems to have on everyone who learns about it. Shankwitz said, 'Why can't we do that for other ill children, let them make a wish, and we'll make it happen.' We approached Chris' mom, Linda, and she said, 'Let's do it ”(Frank Skankwitz, 1980). The original founders were Frank Shankwitz, Linda Bergendahl-Pauling, and Scott Stahl. This is when Make-A-Wish was born. The main reason we should give to this foundation is that we're helping them grant wishes to terminally ill children.

Make-A-Wish has more than one way people can help economically. Perhaps the most common is to donate every month, but in addition to this, there are many other ways to help. You can donate more than just money. There are local chapters out there you can become a part of. Some major businesses contribute their cash to help with the cause. In 2019 according to (Forbes, 2019) “Make-a-Wish has received 367 million dollars in private donations. Also, there are a lot of businesses that match the employee donation, giving their little bit of something to this great foundation. Using the Make-A-Wish website, individuals can see if the businesses they work for are part of this program, and in that way, they can start donating as well. If donating money is not an option, there are many more ways to help this foundation grant the wishes of children.

Make A Wish Foundation is helping children across the United States and in other countries. They find a kid with an illness that is very severe and scary to them and give them a wish. It affects the child's life as a whole because it shows that these individuals and other people across the world are caring for them like their families. It grants them the inspiration and the encouragement they need to keep fighting and never give up on life. All these children have been diagnosed at a really early age. For wish children, the simple act of making their dreams come true can really give them the bravery to adhere to their medical procedures. Parents may start feeling that they can be hopeful. And yet others can recognize all that they have to offer society through volunteering or charitable work.

Volunteering at a local Make-a-Wish Chapter is another way to help the Make-a-Wish excel. Individuals can go from different regions to volunteer their time to make an exciting day for these children. There are many chapters throughout our states. The one closes to me is The Make-A-Wish Foundation Central and South Texas. Their mission is “Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses (cstx.wish.org). As we know volunteers come from all walks of life and live all over the nation, volunteering their time and resources to support Make-a-Wish. As a volunteer, individuals can take part in fundraising events, but they can also spend time with the children and their families. You can donate airline miles, a car donation, hold a fundraiser, and becoming a sponsor.

Another way to support is to increase awareness, to support this cause so that every day more people actually know about it and more people will donate. The use of social networks is a good way to help The Make-A-Wish Foundation. On an individual's birthday, they should ask their friends via their social media to donate to The Make-A-Wish Foundation rather than getting them a gift. To make this noble cause more and more popular, many artists have dedicated themselves to the movement. Together they combine forces to educate the public and encourage those to help and participate in this worthy cause in one way or another. All over the United State, there are balls and galas held to raise money for this foundation and bring awareness to this cause. We all have at least one celebrity that we look up to. There are many celebrities out there that make wishes come true. John Cena may be a wrestler and appear to be a tough guy. However, many people will be surprised to learn he is an even more impressive champion: an all-time giving celebrity for the Make-A-Wish Foundation (realclear.com). He has granted over 400 wishes to ill children. This is so awesome. This shows there are people out there that truly care.

The Make A Wish foundation is a wonderful foundation that provides children with illnesses help for them to get the medications and resources they need for care, which grants their wishes to make them feel relaxed and feel better so they won't have to think about anything that is currently going on in their lives. The Make-A-Wish foundation counts on individuals all around the world to support them with donations to help make a child's wish come true that helps children feel stronger, more confident, more able, and willing to fight their serious illnesses. The Make-A-Wish foundation counts on individuals all around the world to support them with donations to help make a child's wish come true that helps children feel stronger, more confident, more able, and willing to fight their serious illnesses. Among many, their wish is a crucial point in the battle against their illnesses. Wishes give children encouragement when they really need it, and research suggests that they have an impact on children's mental well-being and medical outcomes. In reality, wishes have been shown to have emotional and physical benefits that can give children with serious illnesses a better chance of survival. When wishes are granted, a child replaces despair with assurance, grief with happiness, and nervousness with hope.

I've heard of this foundation many times, but I've never really researched it. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is truly unbelievable. In the United States and its territories, on average, a wish is granted every 34 minutes (wish.org). What individuals are doing for the children is incredibly inspiring and it's something everyone should love doing. Not only the organization but also its contributors, deserve recognition. All those businesses that offer their goods and services to those children are really heartwarming. To me, the most amazing part of this was the fact that the foundation receives quite a bit of money, and it mostly goes to the actual children, and that's phenomenal. Not only is the Make-A-Wish Foundation in the United States, but it has also been partnered with 50 different countries in five different continents, and its objective and mission remain the same (la.wish.org). The foundation has granted more than 334,000 wishes worldwide, making it the largest wish-granting foundation in the world. This really warmed my heart towards this organization.

Hopefully, you understand more about the Make-A-Wish Foundation and what it does. You may have already met some of them, or even been personally affected by them. But start with a simple gesture to help Tommy's son be just like his dad, transforming into an organization that affects the world dedicated to helping terminally ill children. As mentioned to you about how to make donations, and how it really is a push for all of us to support these children in any way we can, because we would all hope that for someone. This is a wonderful organization and they are doing great things. They will continue to do great things with the help of individuals like you and me. Take the time to look up this foundation and see what they do for the children of the world. The foundation demonstrates that it is dedicated to granting that magical moment for all children who need it the most.