Due to an increase in wish requests, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western Pennsylvania is looking for compassionate individuals in Blair, Cambria, Somerset, Bedford, Huntingdon, Fulton, Mifflin and Juniata counties to volunteer their time and assist with wish fulfillment, fundraising and other activities.
The Foundation has scheduled a volunteer training session on Saturday, March 20 from 8-4 p.m. in the Trzeciak Room of Bon Secours Holy Family Hospital.
As members of “wish teams,” volunteers are an important component of fulfilling wishes. Volunteers meet with the family, determine the wish and act as a liaison between the Foundation staff and the wish family. They make the wish process as carefree and magical as possible for the family.
Volunteers also help at many special events such as golf tournaments, haunted houses and dances. They help implement fundraising programs at schools and in workplaces with the Make-A-Wish staff. In addition, volunteers can help in the Altoona office with mailings, phone calls, filing, special projects and office support. Volunteers who work on wishes must be 21 years of age or older and pass a criminal background check. For more information and to register for the upcoming training, call Denise Moyer-Hand at 693-9065.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western Pennsylvania and Southern West Virginia is a non-profit organization, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. It was founded in 1983 and serves 36 counties in western Pennsylvania and 23 counties in southern West Virginia with headquarters in Pittsburgh and regional offices in Erie, Altoona, Punxsutawney and York, PA, and Charleston, WV.
In fiscal year 2003 the Foundation fulfilled 541 wishes with the help of nearly 800 volunteers and is the only chapter in the world to fulfill 500 wishes in one year. The Southeast Regional Office, now headquartered in Hollidaysburg, opened in September 1992. It oversees wish fulfillment and fundraising activities in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin and Somerset Counties.
In 2003 the Regional Office fulfilled 47 wishes. Currently, the Foundation is the most active chapter in the country and has fulfilled nearly 6,000 wishes. For more information on how to refer children or to volunteer, call the Make-A-Wish Foundation at 1-800-676-WISH or visit its web site at www.wishwesternpa.org.
