Name of organization: Make-A-Wish® San Diego
Your mission: Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
What is one thing your organization is excited for this year?
Not only does this year mark our 40th anniversary as a chapter, but after decades of granting wishes, Make-A-Wish San Diego will be reaching an exciting milestone. With the help of our long-standing partner, the San Diego Padres, our chapter will be granting its 5000th wish. Six-year-old Eric, who is battling a brain tumor, loves baseball. He also loves watching his favorite team, the San Diego Padres and shared his “dream” would be to meet them. On June 15th, Eric’s heartfelt wish of meeting his favorite baseball heroes, will be coming true. Make-A-Wish San Diego is excited to bring this wish to life and experience the power of Eric’s wish in action alongside our community who made it possible.
What do you wish the community knew about your organization?
More than 40 percent of people believe that Make-A-Wish only serves children with terminal illnesses. A wish is not a last wish. Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses – many of whom go on to beat their illnesses and credit the wish for giving them the physical and emotional strength they needed to persevere. When a wish is granted, a child replaces fear with confidence, sadness with joy and anxiety with hope.
What is one thing you and your team exceed at?
The Make-A-Wish mission is so powerful because it brings a community of would-be strangers together for the sole purpose of making the world brighter for a child dealing with a critical illness. Our team truly leans into that sense of community with each other, our dedicated volunteers, the loyal donors and community partners who make our work possible, and of course, with our wish families.
How has having a fund with RSFF helped your organization?
We’re grateful for organizations like RSFF for doing such good work in the community. Our hope is to elevate awareness of Make-A-Wish San Diego through this partnership and inspire more people to get involved. There are so many ways to connect with our mission- whether as a volunteer, donor, medical partner, or in-kind supporter. Anyone has the power to help create life-changing wishes for kids with critical illnesses.
For those excited about your work, what is the best way to get involved?
A single wish can be transformational, and it’s all thanks to our volunteers! Each volunteer plays a pivotal role in a child’s wish journey, but currently, one of our most critical needs are wish granting volunteers who are fluent in both English and Spanish. The role of a wish granting volunteer is to work directly with the child and their family to help determine a child’s most heartfelt wish. Our volunteer application opens on a quarterly basis, we invite our community to learn more by visiting sandiego.wish.org/volunteer or by contacting our Senior Volunteer Manager, Danielle Ice, to learn about the different volunteer opportunities that are available.
